LEAKESVILLE, Miss. (WLOX/Gray News) – A Mississippi man born without arms defied the odds by proving that limitations exist only in the mind.
Casey McInnis said many doctors warned him against running or playing sports. However, McInnis never let that stop him.
“They started flag football in third grade, so I went to my mom and told her I wanted to play,” McInnis said. “She was shocked, but she signed me up anyway.”
Despite initial concerns, he played football throughout high school, earning a spot on two championship teams. He said while he wasn’t always a starting player, he understood the importance of his role.
Sports was just the beginning of McInnis’s journey. His determination extended beyond the field and into every aspect of his life.
McInnis met his wife, Stephanie, in college, and the two have been married for nearly 30 years. Together, they have built a life full of love, support, and resilience.
“He’s always been present,” Stephanie said. “He’s the ‘go out in the yard and throw the baseball’ dad, the ‘don’t miss a practice or game’ dad. He’s always made us a priority.”
Their son, Conner, agreed.
“He’s never let me miss out on anything,” he said. “He takes me fishing, hunting—he always makes it happen.”
McInnis’ drive also led him to entrepreneurship. Over the years, he started multiple businesses, including a bulldozer service, a lawn care company, and a wild game trapping operation. But the emotional toll of trapping took a toll on him, leading him to face an unexpected challenge, depression.
“Trapping is full of highs and lows,” McInnis said. “One day you catch a lot, and then you go three days with nothing. It really started to mess with me emotionally.”
Through his struggles, McInnis found an outlet—his YouTube channel. He used the platform to share his experiences, including his battle with depression.
“I talk about it pretty often because nobody wants to admit they’re depressed,” he said. “But once you start talking, people open up and realize they’re not alone.”
At one point, McInnis became so discouraged that he asked his wife to delete his channel. But days later, he changed his mind—a decision that ended up saving lives.
“Just off one video, two people messaged me saying they were planning to commit suicide, and the video changed their minds,” McInnis said. “That’s when I thought, maybe that was God.”
McInnis credits his faith for his strength and hopes his story motivates others to push past their struggles.
“Success comes from failure,” he said. “If you fail enough times, you’ll eventually figure out the right way. I think God put an unbelievable amount of determination in me from the start.”
His family agrees.
“God is using you,” Stephanie tells him. “If you’ve reached even five people and made a difference in their lives, then you’ve done your job.”
McInnis continues to share his story, encouraging others to get outside, embrace life, and never give up.
“No matter what’s going on in life, you can still get outside and have fun,” Conner said.
That’s exactly the message McInnis hopes to leave behind.
If you’d like to check out his Youtube page, click here.
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