Coventry Fine Homes

Meet the Family

The James Terpenning Family

Crippled by polio during infancy, and abandoned by his American G.I. father in Vietnam, James nevertheless considers himself one of the luckiest people in the world. He was supposed to be airlifted out of Vietnam on a military plane that crashed, killing all the children and aid workers aboard. Instead, he had safe passage, leading to a new life in America as an adopted son in an Ohio family. While growing up, James competed in wheelchair sports and later represented the U.S. at the Paralympics, where he earned both gold and silver medals. He continues to serve his country in civilian technical support for the Air Force and by helping veterans with disabilities. James also is a frequent speaker at schools, educating children and teens about living with special challenges.

Over and above the many veterans and schoolchildren who have been touched by James’s inspirational outreach, no one knows the boundless strength of James’s character and compassion better than his wife, Shannon, and his adopted brother, Joseph. Shannon, an active volunteer, is a stay-at-home mom to their four children: Josselyn, age 6; twins Justin and Jacob, age 2; and Joshua, age 1. Joseph, who has cerebral palsy, had been placed in a group home after his mother had died. That wasn’t tolerable for James, who brought his brother to live with his family. Now three adults, including two with special needs, and four young children all share space in a cramped, three-bedroom house that could be improved for wheelchair accessibility.

Photo Courtesy of Elsestar Images

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