A North Texas man and his brother, who has autism, are taking the term "brotherly love" to another level. Through ingenuity and the kindness of others, Chris Murray devised a way to allow his brother to take a ride on a motorcycle.
It's been said that brothers aren't simply close, they're knit together. Which describes Murray and his brother Nick perfectly.
"I couldn't ask for a better brother than Nick," said Murray, an ex-Marine, who is his brother's caretaker.
Nick, a 17-year-old Flower Mound High School student, has challenges. He has autism, and was born with Angelman syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects the nervous system. Nick cannot walk, talk or eat on his own, and needs constant care.
"There's a lot of other people out there who don't understand autism or disabilities because it's not in their life," Murray said. "And that's okay."
Chris is much more than just a big brother to Nick. They watch TV together. Nick enjoys cartoons and children's shows, but Dr. Phil is also one of his favorites.
The pair recently began another activity that means the world to both brothers.
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"I think he's ready to ride," said Murray, as he lifted Nick out of his wheelchair and into the sidecar of a custom-built Honda Grom. Murray said he got the idea after he put Nick on the bike a few months ago. The reaction was priceless, he said.
"Nick is just like all of us," he said. "We've always known that, but other people don't."
Chris calls it Project Angel. Through donations from a GoFundMe page and a bike shop which did the labor free of charge, the sidecar is Chris' way of helping his little brother live life to the fullest.
"It means the world to me," Chris said. "Because it's so simple today for a lot of people to not understand what we have, and what small things we take for granted."
Murray said their rides inspire others.
"I've had people comment, fathers and uncles, and they say, 'Wow, I need to do this for my kid. This is amazing.'"
Even with Nick's limitations, there are no limits to a brother's love.
