Know Your Neighbor: Mike Mooney, retired Air Force veteran, non-profit founder
Being a child with special needs, Mike Mooney had more than his fair share of bullying and being treated as an outcast. Life was not easy for young Mike.
Born the eldest of two sons to Mike and Kim Mooney on June 22, 1979, in Maryville, Mike’s symptoms first appeared when he was 9. He did not have many friends and spent a lot of time reading; he was different. His parents were loving and compassionate, but they had not a clue why Mike was so under-developed physically and emotionally.
At the age of 12, there was finally a diagnosis: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and the belief he may possibly have Aspergers’s Syndrome.
ADHD symptoms include the inability to pay attention, constant movement and interrupting others as they speak. It is a disorder that makes it difficult for a person to control impulsive behaviors. He or she may also be restless and almost constantly active. It is not simply a childhood disorder.
Although the symptoms first show in childhood, ADHD can continue through adolescence and adulthood. Even though hyperactivity tends to improve as the child becomes a teen, problems with inattention, disorganization and poor impulse control often continue through teen years.
Asperger’s affects people on what is classified as the autism spectrum. Symptoms appear milder than those of classic autism. Social interaction comes across difficult or one-sided and those dealing with Asperger’s generally suffer from poor coordination and an inability to empathize with others. It affects the ability to socialize or communicate.
Mike and his parents had a double whammy.
“I had no idea how to deal with my challenges but my dad was, and still is, my best friend,” said Mike. “Additionally, though they didn’t know how to deal with my challenges, they did have a super strong spiritual foundation, which they inculcated in me and tried to teach me to focus on the gifts I did have.”
But as the teen years came along, so did the negative behavior intensify; Mike said what were small issues became big issues and he was unable to control his behavior, even though he received A’s on his report card. Severe bullying followed Mike until his senior year. After school and when Mike turned 20, his beloved pastor strongly admonished him to enlist in the military.
Mike joins the Air Force, meets Angela
He joined the United States Air Force on Nov. 17, 1999, and was in the last graduating class on the millennium on Dec. 31, 1999, at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. His Air Force Service Code was 3 Charlie, or 3X. After basic training, he attended tech school at Keesler AFB in Mississippi.
When asked by superiors his desired deployment destination, Mike replied “Hawaii, Italy or Germany. Anywhere but the Midwest.” So where did Mike get stationed?
Smackdab in home territory at Scott Air Force Base. Left with no choice but to embrace the core values of the USAF, which are “Integrity, Service Before Self and Excellence in All We Do,” Mike said he received disciplines and embraced a version of himself.
While on a two-month leave and visiting with a friend, he met Angela Milford from Freeberg through a mutual acquaintance and they went to the movies on a double date. It was a year before they saw each other again and they ended up at a party where they shared an in-depth conversation. Over the next year, the two developed a strictly platonic friendship.
After his stint in the military, Mike said he learned to carry his newly-developed disciplines into business and his personal life. He quoted Author Jordan Peterson, who said, “You can’t run anything if you can’t run yourself.”
One day while jogging, Mike asked himself, “who am I?” He said he felt moved by the Holy Spirit to compile his thoughts into a book which might help others to grasp Jesus’ words, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Mike references CPR — Culture, Policy and Rules. His book is titled, “I Am Unfulfilled.”
A brief synopsis of his book helps readers explore the reasons why their lives “might be in a mess. We don’t live in a culture that looks inside and many spend their time searching for validation rather than contribution,” explained Mike.
As his attraction to Angela intensified, he came to the realization she was the one.
“Of course, her beauty was a factor, but more than that, I was drawn to her emotionally. I finally reached a point where I couldn’t imagine life without her. I asked her to be my girlfriend; she declined. So I told her, ‘that’s fine, I’ll date you. You don’t have to date me back.’”
Mike finds Delta Genesis
Eventually the mutual trust grew and the couple married Oct. 12, 2005. Mike then began working in a clinical environment which used practical application of concepts of functional neurology. He researched how to identify causes of symptoms in children’s brains and avenues to empower parents with the necessary educational tools.
The end result of his education, research and impetus to help children with special needs? Mike founded and is the president of Delta Genesis. How does it work? Referenced as a hemispheric movement, Delta Genesis uses “clinically proven principles of occupational therapy, vision therapy and functional neurology that enables children to overcome the symptoms of ADHD, ODD, autism and other neuralbehavioral disorders without medication.”
Delta Genesis is a non-profit organization which offers two workshops. One is designed to assist parents to help their child develop the brain maturity necessary for improved focus and attention, better emotional regulation, balanced sensory perception and increased social skills.
The other course is for individuals searching for their purpose in life to embark on a path to become the best version of themselves. This includes being a better parent, partner, employee, employer and a happier, healthier, more fulfilled person.
Mike credits his parents, God and time in the military with having enabled him to overcome what could have been debilitating issues. He and Angela home school their four children, Evangeline, Michael, Remington and Jameson.
More information about Delta Genesis workshops can be found online.