This helicopter pilot turns personal tragedy into opportunity for kids and teens

Helicopter pilot Mark Brereton wants young children who use wheelchairs to know the sky's the limit.

He gives rides to children who have recently become paralyzed with the hope that they remember anything is possible.

Brereton was inspired by his own circumstances, having lost use of both legs during a crash in 2007 when he was a professional motorcycle racer. For Brereton, flying offers a sense of freedom and possibility.

"It's the closest thing to magic, and it's an amazing sensation," Brereton told Today. "And for somebody that's been in a wheelchair, what an amazing experience it is to fly, effectively, a chair that can go anywhere and do anything."

After his own crash, which ended his racing career, Brereton found himself inspired to do the things of which he'd always dreamed. First, he proposed to his wife from his hospital bed. Brereton recalled that he knew if she wasn't going to leave him on his worst day, he wanted her with him forever.

Then, he followed another dream. "My dream's flying — it always has been," says Brereton .

After intensive rehabilitation work at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, followed by some pilot training, he's now a licensed helicopter pilot who does not let his obstacles keep him from his goals.

It's the kind of escape he really needed and thinks children can benefit from — a way to see the world from a different perspective.

His story of perseverance and kindness are inspiring enough, but he also shares some insightful words to live by: "You only get what you're given, but whatever you're given you need to use. You need to maximize that."