Posts Tagged ‘Team Maddy Michigan’

Lessons Learned From Maddy

August 15, 2012

So called “ethicist” and pro-euthanasia exponent Peter Singer made the following remark when asked whether or not children with severe disabilities should be afforded lesser rights:

“A lesser right to life I would say. Not a lesser right to avoid suffering or not have suffering inflicted on you … but in terms of a right to life, I think, yes it does make a difference.”

This argument is despicable and prevents our society from connecting with our most vulnerable. Parents who have raised a child with severe disabilities can attest to the profound impact their child has given them. Our society must be taught to love, respect and nurture our most vulnerable – not write them off!

Take the inspirational story that I wrote about yesterday, where a father completed a triathlon with his severely disabled daughter, Maddy.

Ask this wonderful father whether or not children with disabilities contribute to people and society. Ask him whether or not they are equals and deserve equal rights!

The quote from Peter Singer came from the following televised panel discussion. The quote appears at 16.20.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyNhLyrSDYs

Click on the link to read Inspirational Dad Competes In Triathlon With Daughter Who Has Cerebral Palsy

Click on the link to read 20 Tips to Ensuring Your Kids Find You Embarrassing

Click on the link to read It’s Not Spying on Your Children, It’s Called Parenting

Inspirational Dad Competes In Triathlon With Daughter Who Has Cerebral Palsy

August 14, 2012

What a fantastic story!

A Michigan man who participated in a local triathlon over the weekend has been called the “father of the century” by some because of the devotion he has shown for his child.

Rick van Beek of Byron Center, Mich., took part in the Sanford and Sun sprint triathlon this Saturday with his 13-year-old daughter, Madison, the Midland Daily News reports.

The teenager couldn’t take part in the event alone, so her heroic dad pulled and pushed her along with him, taking every stride and stroke together toward the finish line.

Maddy, as she is affectionately known, has cerebral palsy. The teen can neither walk nor talk, and her dad says he isn’t even sure that she can see.

But what van Beek does know is that Maddy loves the outdoors.

“She functions like a 3-month-old, and one of the very few things that we know she enjoys is being outside, being in the water, feeling the breeze in her hair and in her face,” van Beek, 39, told Midland Daily News.

So, in 2008, van Beek — then terribly out of shape and a heavy smoker — decided he would start training for outdoor races.

 In his blog, van Beek admits that getting into shape was initially extremely difficult.

However, he was determined to live a healthier life for Maddy and to share the fruits of that labor with her.

“I run for and with my daughter,” he wrote in 2010.

Click on the link to read Lessons Learned From Maddy

Click on the link to read 20 Tips to Ensuring Your Kids Find You Embarrassing

Click on the link to read It’s Not Spying on Your Children, It’s Called Parenting