Lessons on Never Giving Up from Team Hoyt

Monday, November 24th 2008 by Shanel Yang         Email this article to a friend

What’s more inspirational than a family that loved a severely deformed puppy enough to train it to walk upright like a human—the only one of its kind so far—and grow up to be one of the cutest dogs you ever saw?

How about a family’s love for a boy born with spastic quadriplegia as a result of the umbilical cord wrapped round his neck, cutting off oxygen to his brain, causing cerebral palsy.

Unable to speak or control his body except for minor movements of his head, his family nevertheless believed his mind was perfectly fine because they could see understanding in his eyes and also observed him smiling and laughing at all the appropriate moments.

A team of engineers at Tufts University gave the boy, Rick Hoyt, the gift of speech when he was twelve years old by creating a computer through which Rick could painstaking “type” the letters he wanted with movements of his head. Suddenly, he could communicate directly with the world! And, what did he do with that ability? Much more than many of us who are able-bodied have been able to do with our lives so far. What would you do with your life if you were likewise disabled? What about if you had a baby born that way? Watch this video if you think—even for a moment—that you would feel sorry for yourself and just give up! Life’s so precious!

LESSONS ON NEVER GIVING UP FROM TEAM HOYT

TODAY SHOW SEGMENT: TODAY’S REAL HEROES

Anne: This morning we’re launching a new series called “Today’s Real Heroes.” Our national correspondent Natalie Morales is here with an unforgettable pair. Natalie?

Natalie: Anne, It’s a story you have to see to believe. Our real heroes today are Dick and Rich Hoyt, better known as Team Hoyt. And, if you haven’t heard of them yet, be prepared. They’re almost legends in their own right; and, you’ll see right now why they are heroes to so many.

This is one the greatest love stories of all time. A story of a father who climbs mountains and runs to the ends of the earth and back to give his son a better life, a life that transcends the limitations of his body.

Rick Hoyt’s fight started at birth, 44 years ago, when the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck.

Dick Hoyt: He looked beautiful, and he was strong. And, he was layin’ on his stomach. And, I thought he was doin’ push ups. But, what it was—he was havin’ spasms.

Natalie: The doctors told Dick and Judy Hoyt that their son had cerebral palsy and that he would never be able to walk or talk.

Dick: They said, “Forget Rick. Put him away. Put him in an institution. He’s gonna be nothin’ but a vegetable for the rest of his life.”

And, we said, “No, we’re not gonna put Rick away. We’re gonna bring Rick home and bring him up like any other child.”

Natalie: So when the Hoyt family went to the beach for a swim, Rick went, too.

Dick: He’d sink down to the bottom, and he’d look up and he’d start laughin’. When we played street hockey, we’d just get a stick and push him in a chair and hold the stick for him. We did everything with him that we did with the other two boys.

Natalie: And, Rick responded.

Dick: When you look in his eyes, and he was lookin’ right at ya, and you could tell that he understood everything you were talkin’ about.

Natalie: But, it wasn’t until he was 12 when Rich found his voice, called the “Hope Machine,” a computer system created by a team of Tufts engineers.

Natalie: Hopefully people will look at me as an intelligent person and look past my disabilities.

Dick: It could tell us exactly what he wanted, how he felt, you know, where he wanted to go. And, it got him to go school and get to be able to talk to a lot of other people.

Natalie: It was at high school where Rick first learned of a five-mile charity road race for a paralyzed teenagers.

Dick: And, he said, “Dad, I have to do somethin’ for him. I wanna let him know that life goes on.”

Natalie: For Dick, who wasn’t a runner, it was a call to action as a father.

Dick: Rick told me, he said, “Dad, when I’m runnin’, it feels like my disability disappears.”

Natalie: And that was all Dick needed to hear. Now, at the age of 66 and 44, Dick and Rick have run 950 races, 60 marathons, including their 25th Boston Marathon this year. They even started doing triathlons, competing in 6 Iron Mans, the ultimate test of strength and endurance. All the way, Dick pulls, pushes, and carries Rick’s 110-lb. frame over the course of the 2.4 miles swim, 112-mile bike ride, and 26.2-mile run. [To Dick and Rick:] So, on this day, we’re going for a leisurely stroll. This is a slower pace than you two normally go, right?

Dick: Oh, this is a nice pace. It’s a good break here.

Natalie: But, they don’t slow down for long.

Dick: As long as we’re still havin’ fun, we’re enjoyin’ it, and we’re healthy, we’re gonna continue doin’ it.

Natalie: But, it’s Rick’s achievements on the sidelines that are most awe-inspiring.

Rick: I may be disabled, but I live a very fulfilling life.

Natalie: Not only did Rick graduate from high school, but also from college, earning his degree from Boston University. And, he now lives in his own apartment.

Rick: I have shown to disabled people that they don’t have to sit back and watch the world go by. They, too, can go to school, get a job, and be included in everyday life.

Natalie: The Hoyt’s motto is simply “You can.” And, they’ve made so many people believe anything is possible.

Dick: He’s competing in road race, competing in triathlons. Now, all of a sudden, all of these videos are poppin’ up, uh, and people are emailin’ ‘em around the world. And, it’s just a great feelin’.

Natalie: I read them an email that they recently received, one of thousands, from a perfect stranger:

“I write this because I’m a father; and, to my shame, I have been nothing like you, Dick. I have been selfish more than I have been selfless. I’m not raising my son the way I intended to raise him. And, up to this point, you could say, I have failed.

“But, yesterday, in a moment’s time, I was changed. My heart was broken when I saw how much you must love your son to put yourself through such agony that he might experience the thrill of the race. Yesterday, it became less about me and more about being my children’s father. I thank you, Sir.”

[To Dick:] You hear this over and over again.

Dick: Yes. Yeah. [In tears.]

Natalie: It clearly is—it touches you every time.

Dick: It really does. Yeah.

Natalie: You—you’re more than a father. I mean you are a hero to so many. And, most importantly, you’re a hero to Rick.

Dick: Yeah, I just think I’m myself. And, I just love my family. And, I just wanna be the very best father I can be.

Male Announcer: Dick and Rick Hoyt, Everybody! Way to go, Ricky! Way to go, Dude!

CONCLUSION

Whew! I don’t know about you guys, but I used to always tell my sisters and friends (and only partially in jest) that if I can’t walk or talk, just shoot me now! I swear, I hope I’ve come a long enough way since those days to want to carry on any way I could with this blog if something challenging like that ever happened to me. I guess we’ll never know till the day comes. Meanwhile, though, I sure as heck am not going to complain (too much) about some minor aches and pains while I work hard to pursue my dream of making a difference in the world in my own special way. I hope you never, ever give up, either! Be awesome! Be your own hero! : )

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[For “Lessons from Faith, the Dog that Walks Like a Human,” click here.]

[For “Lessons from the ‘Sunscreen Speech,’” click here.]

[For all posts in the “Inspiration” category, click here.]

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[For “Get a Handle on Procrastination,” click here.]

[For “20 Tips for Highly Effective Time Management,” click here.]

[For “How to Wake Up Early, Refreshed, and Excited!,” click here.]

[For “10 Harmful Thoughts,” click here.]

[For “50 Negative v. Positive Thoughts,” click here.]

[For “Fan Your Inner Flame Till It Burns Bright,” click here.]

[For “Change Your Mindset to Change Your Life,” click here.]

[For “What Would You Do If You Couldn’t Fail?,” click here.]

[For “How to Set and Achieve Goals in 5 Simple Steps,” click here.]

[For “So Much Self Help, So Little Time!,” click here.]

[For “Jealous Much? … Make It Work for You!,” click here.]

[For “So You Think You’re Smart?,” click here.]

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