In The Pipeline: A life that defied the odds

There’s a young tree in Central Park, just behind the Park Bench Café.

It was planted in June 2003, and a tag that’s attached to the slender trunk reads, “This American Sweet Gum Tree has been planted for Jon Alter, celebrating the love and joy Jon brings to everyone.”

It was planted in honor of Jon when he was given two weeks to live, nine years ago, as sort of an early living memorial. When he was born in 1962, in Boston where the family lived, Jon was also given two weeks to live.

But he proved them wrong then, and he did it again in 2003. He didn’t die two weeks later, as doctors had predicted. He made it until November 2011, the day after Thanksgiving, adding eight years to a life that defied odds but most importantly, touched hearts.

I learned about Jon just recently, from a friend. His story was so beautiful and touching that I could not help but share it — but there’s another reason, which I will get to, that it is important to get the word out.

Jon’s sister Carol and his mom, Eunice, live here in Huntington Beach. Together, they painted the picture for me of this special young man’s life, and the impact he had here in the city.

Eunice explained to me how Jon, her fifth of six children, had been born with Hydrocephalus, a buildup of fluid inside the skull, and needed to have an emergency brain surgery in order to live just after birth.

Doctors were hardly hopeful with their prognosis, but somehow Jon survived. However, the brain damage was thought to be so severe that it was suggested to the Alter family that Jon be institutionalized.

But that was not an option for Eunice, who said that this was her son, brought to her by God, and that regardless of anything he would be with his family. So began this memorable life journey.

He learned to speak, and his sight improved as he grew. Jon was not deaf and blind, as the family had been told. There were many medical misconceptions about Jon, yet he kept going.

As a little boy, he won over people with an innate, infectious charisma.

“Everyone one loved this little boy because he was simply so lovable,” Carol said. “Nobody tried harder. Even though he was in a wheelchair, nobody tried harder to make his life better than my brother Jon.”

Eunice added that one of Jon’s favorite sayings as a youngster was, “I can do it myself, but if you want to help, you can.”

But it was Jon’s love of horses that really changed his life, and the lives of others. In the Boston area, around the age of 14, Jon became involved with a therapeutic riding program, the first of its kind in the United States, and it changed his life. It gave him an outlet to help him both physically and mentally.

Riding horses brought out in Jon more personality and passion, and his family realized that they had tapped into something powerful. So profound was the effect on Jon and so compelling was his story that he soon became the poster child for the riding program and related activities.

The family moved from Massachusetts to Huntington Beach in 1983. That’s when Jon and his family became involved with a dedicated small group of “riding for the handicapped” friends who petitioned the Huntington Beach City Council for help in establishing a therapeutic riding program that they knew would make a positive difference in many lives.

Then-Mayor Jack Kelly was deeply touched by Jon’s story to a point where he said, “Huntington Beach needs this program.”

And thus, the Therapeutic Riding Center of Huntington Beach was born. Jon adored the horses at the local equestrian center, and when he was no longer able to ride, he would brush, groom, feed and tend to them in every way possible. The program lives on today.

Jon also got involved in a program of music and art therapy at a place called Creative Identity in Anaheim. Jon, who loved music, memorized the songs he was given and, even after he could no longer speak, would still mouth the words while singing in the choir.

Last November, Jon finally succumbed, but not after living far beyond what most had predicted.

Eunice said she misses her son’s smile and laughter terribly these days, as does Carol. But he evidently touched so many lives that it brings me to the other reason I wanted to share this story.

At 2 p.m. May 19, the family is celebrating Jon’s life at his tree in Central Park, right behind the Park Bench Café.

They’d love for anyone who knew Jon, from friends to teachers to therapists, to spread the word and try to attend. Bring photos, stories, memories, whatever might help honor the life of this indefatigable young man who managed to squeeze every drop of life from every day.

Did you know Jon? I wish I did, but I look forward to what I will learn at what promises to be a beautiful gathering, near a special tree, that grows in honor of an even more special young man.

CHRIS EPTING is the author of 18 books, including the new “Hello, It’s Me: Dispatches from a Pop Culture Junkie.” You can chat with him on Twitter @chrisepting or follow his column at https://www.facebook.com/hbindependent.