By Mark Craig, Star Tribune
Orlando Thomas never had a bad day. Oh sure, life would knock him down sometimes. But friends, former teammates and relatives say their beloved "OT" always got back up with a smile and five words that will forever define this 34-year-old former Vikings free safety:
"Every day is a holiday," said former Vikings strong safety Robert Griffith, repeating his friend's favorite mantra and chuckling at a headful of memories from playing next to Thomas from 1995 to 2001.
"He'd say it probably once a day. Sometimes three or four times. Even when he'd be hurt and standing on the sideline, you'd hear him yelling, 'C'mon, Griff. You gotta make that play. Get your name in the paper. Remember, EVERY DAY IS A HOLIDAY!' "
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Thomas, whose ALS was diagnosed in September 2004, is paralyzed above the waist and has only limited movement in his legs. He can't walk or sit up on his own and is unable to chew or swallow. He's fed through a tube and needs his throat cleared regularly by suctioning. He also lost his speech recently, although Demetra said his overall physical decline has slowed the past month or so to a point where she considers him "stable."
Like most people with ALS, Thomas' mind remains as sharp as it ever was. Yet somehow, even though he understands his condition is terminal, Thomas still doesn't believe in bad days.
"I used to think that Orlando was just real carefree," Demetra said. "But I'm learning so much from him now. He can't walk into a room and bring on the excitement or bring out his favorite quote -- 'Every day is a holiday!' -- like he used to. But he's showing that, regardless of what's going on in your life, if you live from the heart and you have love, joy and peace, there's nothing greater than living from that place within."
Thomas was unable to be interviewed for this story. But, through Demetra, he was able to say, "Tell all the Vikings fans that I said 'Thank you,'" and, "Tell them Minnesota had a good draft this year ... definitely!"
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It's hard for some teammates to see their beloved OT in his current physical condition. They're mostly afraid of weeping in front of him. Former Vikings receiver Jake Reed isn't one of them. He visits his friend regularly, and just spent five hours with him on May 27. They smiled a lot. Laughed. And really cracked up when Reed reminded Thomas "how much money we used to take off poor [teammate] Chuck Evans, who wasn't exactly the best card player in the world."OT asked a lot about Cris Carter, and I talked to Cris afterward and we're going to go see OT [this] month," Reed said. "Cris hasn't seen him in a while. It's tougher on some guys. It kind of overwhelms them. They hear that OT is sick, but they don't have experience with how terrible Lou Gehrig's Disease is. They're thinking, 'This is big, strong OT. He's young. He can't be that sick.' But this disease doesn't care who you are, how much money you made or how famous you are."
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Demetra said that through it all, Orlando has never asked, "Why me?" In fact, she said the entire family "feels blessed." The couple has a 13-year-old daughter, Philamisha Davis, who is Demetra's from a previous relationship; a 10-year-old daughter, Alexis Thomas, who is Orlando's from a previous relationship; and their 6-year-old son, Orlando Jr.
"With the love that exists in our family, the kids don't see Orlando like other people see him now," Demetra said. "They see their dad. They see someone who loves them. They see someone who smiles when they walk in the room. They see someone who never complains.
"Our son said to me, 'Mom, Dad's going to walk again.' It's not false hope. They are well aware of the disease and the diagnosis. But we have instilled in them that there is a God. They understand faith, so they don't see us as any different than any other family going through life's journey."
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"If you were to come to our house, you would see God's presence," Demetra said. "Whether you live in a cardboard box or on top of a hill, it doesn't matter as long as you have that in your home. People who come and spend time with Orlando leave with something from him they didn't expect."
Perhaps it's a sense that in their own lives, every day really is a holiday.
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