When he was a young child, John O’Leary was burned on 100 percent of his body. Doctors gave him less than one percent chance of surviving the first night.

He spent months in the hospital, has endured dozens of surgeries, has had years of therapy, and all of his fingers were lost to amputation.

Now, the husband, father, college graduate and business owner has become one the nations most powerful and inspirational speakers.

His message of embracing personal and professional challenges and transforming them into a foundation for growth has empowered audiences worldwide.

On Thursday, speaker John O’Leary will be at the Gulf Shores United Methodist Church auditorium for “From Spill to Spectacular! – Dream Big, Plan Smart and Take Action…A Morning to Remember.” The event will begin at 8 a.m. and is sponsored by the Coastal Resiliency Coalition, the Alabama Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce and the South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce.

In December, the Alabama Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce hosted a leadership retreat, including leaders and elected officials from all over South Baldwin County.

During that retreat, a request was made to bring a motivational speaker to the Gulf Coast to help encourage everyone who had been affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that occurred on April 20, 2010. O’Leary was chosen for the mission.

 “The building seats 750 people and the tickets are free,” said Linda Whitlock, CEO of the Alabama Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce.

“We were able to fund him coming to speak to us through some grant money. We want to invited all of the Orange Beach and Gulf Shores community to be there.”

Tickets are available through the chamber offices, and at both the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach City Hall.