JOHN FOPPE

Founder, Friends of the Forgotten

[JOHN FOPPE @JohnFoppe]

Most people will see a story about how I drive. I hope they see something more: what greater freedom makes possible.

For me, it means reaching disabled children too often overlooked.

That’s what drives me.

https://t.co/soau6SlOiq

[Tesla @Tesla]

John Foppe was born without arms & has been driving Teslas for over 7 years.

FSD Supervised lets him navigate the road without conventional steering – commuting to his non-profit job & visiting his daughter over 500 miles away

[JOHN FOPPE @JohnFoppe]

@mayemusk Thought you might enjoy seeing what happened next.

My mother taught me early not to let being born without arms define what was possible. Perhaps that’s why I’ve always appreciated strong mothers—and I have great respect for the role you’ve played in Elon’s story.

Grateful to @Tesla for sharing this. Mobility isn’t just about where I can go. It’s about who I can reach.

Today, that means reaching children with disabilities around the world through @FOTFBelonging.

Turning longing into belonging.

[Tesla @Tesla]

John Foppe was born without arms & has been driving Teslas for over 7 years.

FSD Supervised lets him navigate the road without conventional steering – commuting to his non-profit job & visiting his daughter over 500 miles away

[JOHN FOPPE @JohnFoppe]

@mayemusk, you were kind enough to comment on my story back in May, and I wanted to share where it has gone since then. And congratulations on your new book—I’ve really been enjoying it.

My own mother was an extraordinarily strong woman. She refused to let my being born without arms become an excuse for what I could do with my life, and I give her enormous credit for the man I became.

Perhaps that’s one reason your reflections on motherhood resonate with me. I admire the strength you’ve shown as a mother as well, including raising Elon to think differently about what’s possible.

Now @Tesla has shared this piece about how I drive—and, more importantly, how that mobility helps me reach children with disabilities around the world through @FOTFBelonging.

Mobility isn’t just about where I can go. It’s about who I can reach.

https://t.co/4adKpxHJ4n

[Tesla @Tesla]

John Foppe was born without arms & has been driving Teslas for over 7 years.

FSD Supervised lets him navigate the road without conventional steering – commuting to his non-profit job & visiting his daughter over 500 miles away

[JOHN FOPPE @JohnFoppe]

@ellaqls @Tesla Me too! 😄

[JOHN FOPPE @JohnFoppe]

@NancyMoomaRN @Tesla Indeed!

[JOHN FOPPE @JohnFoppe]

@TSLA_All_In @Tesla Exactly. That’s what drives me.

The technology gives me mobility. The mission gives that mobility meaning—reaching disabled children too often isolated and forgotten.

https://t.co/soau6SlOiq

[JOHN FOPPE @JohnFoppe]

@forgey81166 @elonmusk Thank you for your kind words and encouragement!

[JOHN FOPPE @JohnFoppe]

Something bothered me at my daughter’s cross-country meet this weekend.

The fastest runners crossed the finish line to plenty of cheers. But as the race stretched on, people began packing up and leaving. By the time the last runners came through, precious few were still there to cheer.

Today’s Gospel brought them back to mind:
“The last will be first, and the first last.”

Then I thought of this picture from our time in Malawi—children at Chisombezi Children’s Centre running a sack race. Children living with deafness, blindness, developmental disabilities and other challenges.

Look at their faces. Look at that joy.

The world is quick to celebrate the fastest, strongest and most visible. Too often, everyone else is left running toward a finish line where the crowd has already gone home.

But the Kingdom of God doesn’t pack up before the last one crosses the line.

Maybe our calling is simply to stay. To notice. To cheer.

That’s at the heart of @FOTFBelonging.

Turning Longing into Belonging.
https://t.co/oVp8HJgYb8

[JOHN FOPPE @JohnFoppe]

@RyStrider @Tesla

[JOHN FOPPE @JohnFoppe]

@RyStrider @Tesla I grab and hold the charger cable with my chin and shoulders. It can be heavy and challenging to wrangle, but I get it done.

[JOHN FOPPE @JohnFoppe]

@RyStrider @Tesla Like this…

[JOHN FOPPE @JohnFoppe]

@kurtlebtc @elonmusk Like this…

[JOHN FOPPE @JohnFoppe]

@ZentrionGlobal @Tesla Well said!

[JOHN FOPPE @JohnFoppe]

@DogeDharma @Tesla Thank you!

[JOHN FOPPE @JohnFoppe]

@TheTeslaSignal @Tesla As the video shows, I also drive with my feet, capable of taking over at any time. Safety first!

[JOHN FOPPE @JohnFoppe]

@TeslaNewswire Grateful to see this story reaching so many people. For me, the real gift of independence is reach—the ability to use that freedom to reach children with disabilities who too often remain isolated and forgotten through Friends of the Forgotten.

https://t.co/soau6SlOiq

[JOHN FOPPE @JohnFoppe]

@VIN_786 @Tesla I took a driving test at the DMV.

[JOHN FOPPE @JohnFoppe]

@sofcloud537 @Tesla FSD does a wonderful job most situations however there are times that I have to take over and do so adeptly.

[JOHN FOPPE @JohnFoppe]

@KarrDriver @Tesla Yes!

[JOHN FOPPE @JohnFoppe]

@rishabhxAi @Tesla Thank you!

[JOHN FOPPE @JohnFoppe]

@Margare59045365 @Tesla Yes, I’m real!