By Justine Griffin

*The Christmas Day 1A centerpiece story*

Connor Carlisle wanted to design an invitation, something special, and he asked Sarah Reed for help.

Reed is one of Connor’s teachers at St. Petersburg High School, and her hospitality and tourism class is his favorite. He dreams of designing roller coasters.

So they worked on a flier, and he passed them out to everyone he knew at school. He wanted them to go to a movie with him, to see Wonder.

The blockbuster film, released widely Thanksgiving weekend and starring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson, is based on Connor’s favorite book. The young adult novel by Raquel Jaramillo — written under the pen name of R.J. Palacio — chronicles the story of a fifth-grade boy living with a condition similar to Treacher Collins syndrome, which required many surgeries. Because of his disfigurement, the main character, August, is bullied in school. The story shares what it’s like to be different, and how he’s often stared at for something he cannot control.

Connor, who is 16, says he has read the book many times. Like August, he has had many surgeries. Thirty-six, in fact.

Connor was born with a cloverleaf skull, which made his eyes bulge and his ears reach near the back of his head. His skull was more cone-shaped than round. Ultimately, it didn’t leave much room for his brain to grow.

“I had a very normal pregnancy. We had no idea until he was born,” said Connor’s mother, Kerry Carlisle, who is a nurse in the Pinellas County school system. “Back in 2001, the outlook was not very good.”

Connor also was diagnosed with the genetic disorder Crouzon syndrome and Arnold-Chiari malformation, which means he was born without a fully developed spinal cord, nor its protective covering. He lives with a tracheostomy tube in his throat, which makes his voice raspy and low. He sleeps on a ventilator, and his parents take turns being “on call” in case he needs help in the middle of the night. His long-term prognosis isn’t so clear.

His family lived in New York City for nearly 12 weeks straight when he was a few years old, as he underwent several craniofacial surgeries to reshape the bones in his skull. Family photos show a happy, young Connor on the carousel in Central Park, even as equipment halos his face.

“We always made the most out of it, vacation-wise,” said Connor’s father, Reid Carlisle.

Connor’s favorite memory was visiting the Toys “R” Us in Times Square. And he enjoyed playing with his big brother, Reid Jr., who has been Connor’s best friend and advocate all his life, while they watched subway cars zip in and out of Grand Central Station.

“I remember really liking the trains,” Connor said.

Connor’s health continues to be struggle. He fights pneumonia, tracheitis or respiratory infections nearly every year, which almost always land him in the intensive care unit. He was hospitalized twice in August. He hates that he can’t swim underwater because of the tube in his throat.

But he tries to do all he can.

Connor is a huge Star Wars fan. He went to Megacon for the first time this year. He’s been in Boy Scouts most of his life, and loves to camp with his dad and brother. His parents bring the ventilator, with extension cords, on camping trips. Last summer, he attended Camp Able in Marco Island all by himself. No aides. No parents. Just him.

He loves riding the Cheetah Hunt at Busch Gardens, but the Incredible Hulk coaster at Universal’s Islands of Adventure has been his favorite since he was cleared by his doctors to ride coasters in 2015.

“Connor is definitely not the type who likes to sit around,” said Tyler Burkhart, an 18-year-old Northeast High student who has known Connor pretty much all his life. “He’s always looking for something new to do.”

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