“It was the most gratifying and saddening day on this whole journey,” Aghabi said. “People have been so grateful, supportive and loving to us, so we saw this as our chance to give back.”

The storms slowed the team’s progress, pushing back Aghabi’s expected date of arrival in New York to early July.

Aghabi has demonstrated a resilient spirit ever since the 1992 car accident that left him paralyzed. After leaving his home to head to an audition in Manhattan for a part in a commercial, he was driving through the intersection of Eagle Avenue and Woodfield Road in West Hempstead when another driver ran a red light and slammed into his Jeep.

He recalls waking up lying in the street with his steering wheel clutched in his hand. He knew right away that he was paralyzed, he said, because he couldn’t feel his legs.

Only months later, he continued his search for acting jobs, pursuing roles that called for actors in wheelchairs.

Now, rolling across the country, he hopes to be a positive role model and an inspiration to others who have dreams. “There are only two ways that this trip is going to end,” said Aghabi, who planned to reach the 2,000-mile milestone in St. Louis later this week. “Either my arms will fall off or I will finish this trip. It’s not about me anymore. It’s about the seven people who are on this journey and changing people’s lives.”

Updates on Aghabi’s trip can be found at www.rollwithme.org.