Local author shares story at Louisa Library book signing

John Hajduk lll
Reporter

Tyrell Morton is no stranger to tragedy. A life defined by loss, illness and survival has shaped a perspective—not around  despair, but around love, purpose, and what remains worth holding onto. 

Morton is a local author, poet, and motivational speaker who travels the world sharing his story. On Jan. 17, he brought that story closer to home, holding an unofficial book signing at the Louisa Library for two of his recent titles, “Pieces of My Soul” and “Enjoy the Moments”. Both books draw directly from his lived experiences—spanning illness, incarceration, grief, relationships and global travel. For Morton, the books are not simply memoirs, but records of a life he says was never meant to be forgotten.

Raised on the south side of Richmond, Morton attended George Wythe High School before moving to the city’s north side with his mother, who was struggling with drug addiction and attempting to get clean. He later attended John Marshall High School and finished near the top of his class, walking the stage before trading his cap and gown for the unforgiving pull of Jefferson Davis Highway—a volatile stretch where opportunity was scarce and consequences were not.

As a teenager, Morton was a gifted athlete, excelling in both boxing and basketball. That trajectory changed abruptly when he began experiencing numbness in his legs and eventually collapsed. Medical testing revealed nine tumors on his brain and spine. Over the years, Morton has undergone three brain surgeries, spinal cord surgery, a double hip replacement, removal of his pancreas, and multiple blood transfusions.

He is now partially paralyzed, unable to walk, and relies on an electric scooter. He also suffers from ongoing neurological complications related to brain surgery, including alien hand syndrome affecting the left side of his body. Despite years of physical therapy, his condition has continued to decline.

Much of Morton’s treatment has taken place at VCU Health, where he says he developed close relationships with doctors, nurses, and fellow patients.

“All of them purchased my book and they told me I broke the record for number of visitors,” Morton stated with a smile. “I had a white guy on a bed next to me that would always yell at me and scream that he wanted to die. He never had any visitors and it hit me— he just needed some love. We ended up becoming friends and playing games together, and he started to feel better. Love is the most powerful thing and without it I wouldn’t be here.”

Morton is currently taking a new medication called Welireg, which costs approximately $30,000 for a 90-day supply without insurance, and is necessary for his survival. Just days before the Louisa Library book signing, he underwent kidney surgery and was visibly in pain while discussing his work.

Beyond his medical struggles, Morton has experienced extreme and repeated personal loss. According to Morton, his mother died in her sleep, and he later watched his father pass away from complications related to prostate cancer. His younger brother was also found dead, leaving him with no blood relatives left to lean on.

“These things altered my whole vision on life,” Morton stated emotionally. “I ask myself why in the world am I going through all of this trauma…everybody I love the most just keeps dying. At this moment right now, I’m the last person from my family with my last name.”

Despite the cumulative weight of those experiences, Morton believes his survival serves a larger purpose. He has reflected openly on his past, including time spent dealing drugs in the City of Richmond. He was eventually indicted with video evidence for selling crack cocaine and served multiple prison sentences. Morton says he made hundreds of thousands of dollars during that period and survived being shot, duct-taped, placed in a trunk, and held for ransom. He later began appearing in pornographic films, which he describes as both a source of income and a way to avoid confronting unresolved trauma. 

In retrospect, he believes that his medical conditions may have been karma, but could have potentially saved him from an even worse fate.

“When you’re selling drugs a lot of people get affected, not just the user. It can indirectly affect family members and other people you love,” Morton stated. “God kept telling me to chill out but I kept going … I also noticed every time I have meaningless sex I felt empty and got punished for it.”

Choosing not to remain in self-pity, Morton, now celibate, decided to travel extensively. He has visited every continent except Antarctica, skydived, scuba dived, and ridden elephants. His favorite destination was Bali, where he later chose to live. Due to his medical conditions, he is unable to remain there permanently but hopes to return.

“A lot of people don’t even believe my story is real, I did all of this by myself and I eventually ran out of pages in my passport,” Morton stated. “I would sometimes just stare at the sand on the beach and think to myself how so many people will never get the opportunity to experience this…I get a rush from showing other people that there is still hope no matter what, and I feel like I’m just too cool to quit.”

Morton has now published five books. To create a more immersive experience, he embedded QR codes throughout certain chapters, allowing readers to view visual proof related to the topics discussed.

“I don’t read a lot of books but when I read the very first page of [Pieces of My Soul] I just never wanted to put it down,” Louisa resident Chandelle Booker stated. “I was supposed to go to bed early for work but ended up sitting there and reading the entire book on a whim in almost disbelief…as much as [Morton] has been through, you know, most people would have just rolled over and gave up. I really admire that and it changed my whole philosophy.”

Morton says he is troubled by what he describes as a “crabs in the bucket” mentality in Central Virginia, fueled by social media and instant gratification. He believes that mindset is largely specific to the United States and contrasts it with what he describes as greater appreciation for life’s small moments abroad.

A self-described jack of all trades, Morton is also a content creator, frequently using a drone to capture his travels. With more than 40,000 followers on Instagram under the name @hangingwithtyrell, he continues to write, create, and inspire. At every turn, Morton has found himself at an intersection— forced to choose between surrender and survival, despair and purpose. Now, he says, his focus is on legacy: documenting his experiences so others might learn, find hope, and chart their own paths.

“I just didn’t want my history to be a mystery, and I wanted to get it all out,” Morton stated. “I’ve done everything there is to do and experienced it all, I’m just a messenger now…as long as you do the right thing in life, your tribe and purpose will find you, so chase your dreams and realize that it could always be worse. Don’t let a dude that’s handicapped live a cooler life than you.”