"My goal in sharing my story is to give people hope -- because sometimes that hope is all we've got to hold on to." -- Jay Platt

Contact:  Wanda L. Sanchez, 209-534-0335, Full Phase Media & Publicity, wanda@fullphasemedia.com

BRENTWOOD, Tenn., July 18 /Christian Newswire/ -- Hope is something that Jay knows about.  In 1998, while serving his country as a U.S. Marine, Jay was struck down by von Hippel-Lindau disease (vHL), a hereditary, multisystem disease that occurs in about 1 in 36,000 live births.

Refusing to allow the disease that attacked his body and ended his career to beat him, he decided to use his setback to prove that it isn't what happens to us that matters, but how we respond to it.

Since then, Jay, author of the newly released book, "Whatever It Takes", has spoken to thousands of people and works tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of those who cross his path. "Having lived with this condition for more than 20 years has given me an appreciation for what it takes to not just survive it, but to live a great life - in spite of it," states Platt.

Jay has proven his strategy to be true by his many accomplishments. He is one of fewer than 300 people to have 'thru-hiked' the more than 2,100 mile Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia, and in 2005 became only the third person in history to swim the 1½ mile distance between Alcatraz Island and San Francisco – with his hands and feet tied!

Jay will be sharing his inspiring and hope-filled story at the annual vHL Connections conference on July 21st in Brentwood, TN.  The meeting is open to the public.

For more information about the vHL Connections Conference, visit www.vhlconnections.homestead.com or call 866.463.6845. For more information about Jay Platt, visit www.jayplatt.com. To book an interview, call Wanda at 209.534.0335.