True Story Of A Father’s Love

I came across the story of "Team Hoyt" the other day, and really wanted to sure it with you.  Read on, but make sure you watch the video...  it's inspirational, heartwarming, and a real tearjerker.  You'll hug your kids, and count your blessings tonight.

In 1962, Dick and Judy Hoyt welcomed a little boy to the world.  Their son, Rick, suffered from oxygen deprivation at birth and was diagnosed as a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy.  Dick and Judy ignored doctor's advice to institutionalize their son and began the long journey to help their son fit into this great big world.

The Hoyt's love for Rick was as great as any parents for their child.  Although Rick was unable to walk or speak, as he began to grow they noticed how his eyes would follow them around the room.  They looked for ways to communicate with him, teaching him the abc's and basic words.  By 1972, their efforts began to pay off.  The Hoyts' spent five-thousand-dollars for a specially designed computer that ultimately helped Rick communicate what was on his mind.  His first words surprised everyone, "Go Bruins."  (The Boston Bruins were in the Stanley Cup Finals that year.)

In the Spring of 1977, Rick told his father he wanted to take part in a five-mile benefit run for a Lacrosse player who had been paralyzed in an accident.  They did it, together.  That evening, Rick told his father that when he was running, he felt like he was not handicapped.  That was the beginning of  "Team Hoyt."