Rick Hoyt: The Story Of Cerebral Palsy

The story of Team Hoyt is considered one of the greatest beloved stories of all time. It is a story of love, struggle, and bonding between a father and his son. Richard (Rick) Eugene Hoyt Jr. was born on January 10, 1962 in Holland, Massachusetts. At birth, Rick’s umbilical cord became twisted around his neck, which cuased the blockage of oxygen flow. This means that Rick’s brain is not sending the correct messages to his muscles. As a result of oxygen deprivation, Rick Hoyt was diagnosed as a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy. Cerebral Palsy is considered a neurological disorder cuased by a non-progressive brain injury or malformation that occurs while the child’s brain is under development. Cerebral Palsy affects body movement, muscle

At the age of 12, Rick was able to begin communicating with the help of a speech device. In 1977, Rick heard about a road race to benefit a recently paralyzed lacrosse player. Rick asked his father if he could participate. There was one big problem, Richard was not a runner. It was Rick’s compassionate nature and desire to help others that motivated Richard. Richard Hoyt is considered one of the greatest fathers that ever lived. Richard Hoyt gave up his personal time, money and physical energy for the sake of giving Rick a better life. Richard may not be the greatest runner, but as a great father, his son’s request was all the motivation he needed. Richard agreed to push his son’s wheelchair and they finished all five miles, coming in next to last.That night, Rick told his father, “Dad, when I’m running, it feels like I’m not handicapped.” It brings tears to my eyes everytime I read this. This race was just the beginning of what would become 1,000 races completed, including marathons, duathlons and triathlons. Also included in their list of achievements, Richard and Rick biked and ran across the United States in 1992, completing a full 3,735 miles in 45 days. In a triathlon, Richard would pull Rick in a boat with a bungee cord attached to a vest around his waist and to the front of the boat for the swimming stage. As for the biking stage, Rick would ride a special

As a young boy, Rick would sled with his father and brothers in the winter, swim with them during the warmer months, and build forts in the summer. Rick explains that him and his brothers, Russell and Robert, would pick on each other endlessly, and to this day, they still do. In a lot of ways, it was Russell’s and Robert’s way of making Rick feel accepted and equal to them. For a long time, Rick was not entitled to the same education as other students in Commonwealth. Judy hoyt had to fight for the passage of a Massachusttes education reform law that forced public school districts to accommodate individuals with disabilities, and educate them a sthey would other students alongside their non-disabled siblings, friends and peers. Rick’s mother fought for the rights of not only her son, but thousands of others to enter public schools. Judy would even call senators from different states to make sure her voice was heard. Unfortanetly, Judy Hoyt died September 2010. Judy Hoyt will always be remembered for working tirelessly to help pass the first special education reform law in the country, Chapter 766. Rick attended Boston University, but was faced with many challenges. Rick would need to personally hire and manage a crew of personal care assistants (PCAs) and live independently on campus away from his family for the first time in his life. In 1993, at the age of thirty one, Rick Hoyt became the first nonspeaking