However, Dick Hoyt, in an interview with ABC News, shared, “We cried, but we talked and we said, ‘No, we’re not going to put Rick away. We’re gonna bring Rick home and bring him up like any other child.'” They were fortunate to find a doctor who shared their perspective and advised them to treat Rick’s condition as if it didn’t exist.
Dick added, “I’m just a dad, and it meant everything to me to be able to take my son home. And as he grew up, we knew he was smart, and funny, and curious. It was our job as parents to make sure he received all of the opportunities everyone else has.”
Rick was raised in a loving family environment, and they even managed to acquire a computer for him to communicate. This device, created by Tufts University engineering students, was affectionately named the “Hope Machine.”
For Rick, this was a game-changer, as it enabled him to attend public school. At the age of 15, he decided to participate in a 5-mile race and asked his father to assist him.
Rick’s motivation was to demonstrate that life could continue despite a disability and to raise funds for a paralyzed lacrosse player at his school. He trained with his father, retired Lieutenant Colonel Dick Hoyt of the Air National Guard, and they completed the race together. Rick then expressed, “Dad, when I’m running, it feels like I’m not handicapped.”
