Yes You Can: How running with Team Hoyt changed this father’s life

Elijah Gauthier, 3, and Rick Hoyt, 53, have a lot in common. Both are first-born sons. Both have smiles that light up a room. Both love running with their fathers. And both have faced incredible challenges. Elijah and Rick were diagnosed with cerebral palsy early in life. They can’t walk. They can’t speak. When Rick was born, his parents were told, “He’s a vegetable. Put him in an institution.” They refused. Since then, Rick and his father Dick Hoyt have inspired parents and families around the world. The father-son team has logged more than 1,100 races, with Dick pushing Rick in a specially designed running chair. Thousands of families have followed in their footsteps, connecting with their children and each other and spreading Team Hoyt’s message—“Yes You Can!” Like Rick, Elijah had a rough start in life. He suffered brain injury during childbirth. He didn’t take his first breath until two-and-a-half minutes after birth; then he developed seizures. His parents were told he had brain damage. “Elijah’s birth was the most difficult thing I’ve ever experienced. There were all sorts of emotions—happiness that our son was born, fear about how life would change with a disabled child, depression,” says Brian Gauthier, Elijah’s father. Last year, when Elijah was 2, his parents joined Team Hoyt. “It changed our lives,” says his mother Leah. Caring for kids with cerebral palsy After Elijah was born, Brian and Leah made sure to find the best care fo...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Our patients’ stories parenting cerebral palsy orthopedics Source Type: news