Tuesday, 14 July 2009

Eleven-year-old Nicholas Garwood of Randpark Ridge battles to grasps the end of a red flag. It takes all his concentration and some encouragement from his dad Kevin but eventually he masters it and starts waving the flag in the air. A flash of a smile and a series of excited giggles follow and Nicholas and his dad are on their way.

The ‘trailer jogger’ in which Nicholas sits was especially flown in from Canada, just in time for this year’s Discovery 702 Walk the Talk – the first sporting event Nicholas and Kevin will be taking part in together as father and son. Kevin hopes the Walk will be one of many events to come and help strengthen the incredible bond the two already share.

Nicholas was born in May 1998, six weeks premature. The umbilical cord was wrapped twice around his neck and he suffered from a condition known as Microphthalmia, where one of his eyes had not developed. It was not until he was six months old, however, that doctors discovered he had a severe and debilitating brain injury that would prevent him from ever being able to walk or talk.

“I’ll never forget the sinking feeling I had when one of many paediatrician we went to told us in no uncertain terms that we should just put Nicholas in a home for the disabled and get on with our lives before we became too attached to him,” said Kevin. “We were devastated. This was not an option for us. Our child already had a home; we didn’t need to find him any other home.”

Kevin and his wife Cheryl did extensive research into Nicholas’ condition and travelled to America to find out about a special programme designed for handicapped children, which encompasses physiotherapy, daily educational activities and nutrition.

A thin and sickly Nicholas started the programme shortly after his second birthday and his physical development improved radically in just a few months. His muscle tone increased, he started moving his limbs slightly and he could finally support his head. Nicholas was on the programme for three years, during which time Kevin continued to travel to America for additional training.

When the time came to look at schooling for Nicholas, Kevin and Cheryl were told their son was uneducable. Once again, they refused to give up hope. Kevin quit his job and started home-schooling Nicholas, which he continues to do today.

Last year Nicholas underwent an operation on his legs because there were signs that his left hip was dislocating. “This was an extremely difficult time, since both his legs were in plaster from the hip to the ankle, with a bar between them keeping them apart,” said Kevin. “One of us had to be awake all the time to help him. Cheryl and I took it in shifts and it was exhausting. When the plaster came off, I took Nicholas for hydrotherapy, which really was wonderful and did amazing things for his recovery.”

Earlier this year, Kevin watched a video clip on the Internet about Dick and Rick Hoyt, better known as Team Hoyt – a father and his disabled son who participate in triathlons together. It inspired him to start doing the same.

“In many ways I had taken on Nicholas' disability as my own,” said Kevin, who was once an active sportsman. “I felt so limited because my son was so limited. The video made me want to regain my ability while helping Nicholas regain his.”

Pulling, pushing and carrying his son, the two will be taking part in the Midmar Mile (Nicholas will be pulled behind Kevin in an inflatable boat), cycling the 94.7 Cycle Challenge; competing in the 70.3 Iron Man and walking in this year’s Discovery 702 Walk the Talk on Sunday 26 July.

“The Walk is the perfect event for us to do as a family and will form part of our training for bigger events to come,” said Kevin. “For all you who will be walking on the day. Look out for Team Garwood. We’ll be the ones crossing the finish line of the 8km event with smiles on our faces.”