Hope in the Battle

Kale has been in battle since the day he was born. Kale fought for his health. Kale fought his addiction. Finally, after years of fighting, he discovered God wanted to heal his pain, remove his addictions, and piece together the brokenness in his life.

Arriving 14 weeks early, and weighing in at only two pounds, Kale started his life with multiple medical challenges to overcome.  Lung dysfunction and misaligned feet, along with an asthma diagnosis, left Kale yearning to have a normal childhood.

Struggling with insecurities and confidence due to height abnormalities caused from premature birth, Kale longed to fit in with kids his age. What began as curiosity after watching his uncle smoke quickly became a habit in attempts to propel a “cooler” status amongst other students. Despite the medical warnings from doctors regarding asthma, Kale began smoking at the age of 13. Easily succumbing to the demands of peer pressure, his fight to fit in lead down a detrimental path of smoking and alcohol.

Freshly out of high school and still fighting addictions, Kale stepped into adulthood early and with great responsibility after getting married and having his first child, Kayla. Unable to provide for her, Kale and his wife selflessly gave up guardianship of Kayla to her grandparents who were able to give her the financial stability that Kale lacked. A few years later, Kale’s marriage with Kayla’s mother ended.

Kale’s medical challenges became more severe as he grew older. Now in his 30s and remarried, Kale was diagnosed with a serious lung disease — Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Due to the diagnosis, Kale would require a lung transplant. The illness caused Kale to feel increasingly irritable and he struggled to maintain his relationship with his wife. Within the year his new marriage ended.

As Kale struggled to control the hurt and brokenness in his life, he knew he needed to make a change. He felt a sense of urgency to recover with his health in his vulnerable state. He knew that it was time to kick his addictions.

At this point, Kale reached out to God for help. In the midst of his struggle, God intervened to help Kale overcome years of addiction; setting him on a journey toward a full healing from his past. 

Kale renewed his relationship God and was baptized at Saddleback a year ago. But forgiveness was a fight that he continued to struggle with. He felt unable to forgive himself for his mistakes, but he says that listening to Pastor Rick Warren’s sermons gave him hope and encouragement. While sitting in a service at Lake Forest one Sunday morning, Pastor Rick shared a message on forgiveness that moved Kale deeply. As Pastor Rick spoke Kale felt tears streaming down his cheeks. Hearing the truth of forgiveness opened the door to freedom from the pain of his past. He was reminded that he cannot change what has happened, but he can change his outlook for the future.

With a clear mind and soul, Kale fought to restore his relationships with his two daughters, Kayla and Ava. Inspired by Purpose Driven Life, Kale desired to be a better father and Christian. He has worked hard to restore his relationships and Kale has experienced a healing that brought Kayla, his oldest daughter, back into his life. Both Kayla and Ava have helped inspire him through this season of his life.

Despite his past struggles, Kale is moving forward with hope of what his future will bring. He is on track to finish college with honors and to receive preferential entry into UCLA. He is also in line for a transplant that will allow him to live out his days in better health.

Although there are many unknowns, Kale’s mom, Toni Willis, says Kale now has a peace in his demeanor she has not seen in prior years.

“I am so proud to be a member of Saddleback,” Kale said. “God has given me new hope for my children as well as for my surgery.”

His favorite quote from Muhammad Ali has become his mantra: “Don’t count the days, make the days count.”

Kale overcame powerful addictions with the strength of God and the love and encouragement from the Saddleback community. Like Kale, hundreds of people are struggling in battles but Kale encourages others that they are not alone. Celebrate Recovery is one of the most effective programs at Saddleback, and will help you find freedom from your own hurts, habits and hang-ups.