What inspires us...Kevin, our Rock Star

Both Steve and I have received many gracious "how are you doing" inquires.  Truly, when you're blessed with a kiddo with needs and they have a personality as Donovan has he leads the way.  And if he's going to get through this with great attitude and determination, then how can we do anything different.

With Kevin when he had a similar surgery as Donovan in the 80s
Thanks for sharing the picture, Sean!

After cheering Kevin in at the MS150 ride in 2007

There is another person so many of us have been blessed with and taught me the same; my cousin Kevin.  Kevin was also born with Cerebral Palsy but was more involved than Donovan.  His spasticity left him with limited use of the right side of his body, yet he defied just about every limitation predicted for him.  His parents were advised to find an institution for him to live in, which they didn't listen to it.  They were told it wasn't likely he would walk; he walked for most of his life. 



I bet if the doctors that diagnosed him in the late 50s ever entertained the idea of bike riding, they would have said no way.  They didn't know Kevin's spirit.  He showed everyone that he had no limits and did it with a smile, inspiring everyone who met him, and becoming a very accomplished biker and hero to many! 

I grew up knowing Kevin as my Rock Star.  Running into him at bike rides unexpectedly was the highlight of the day!  Cheering him in at the end of a ride always made me cry out of pride in him.  As an adult, he shared his wisdom with me on what life would be like for Donovan, what his spasticity feels like, how not to enable him but rather teach him drive and determination.  Donovan's made that really easy on us... he has been blessed as Kevin was!

Kevin became our angel in 2010 and I miss him!  I am so grateful for having had him here to teach me about his spirit and help me to understand how to be a better parent for Donovan.  I really urge you to look at the links below to understand what an amazing person he was and invite you to share them with anyone you know in need of encouragement or inspiration.

Kevin's family started a foundation in his honor to support the use of biking as a source of freedom for people with differences. Make sure you look at the media link within it to hear about his life of amazing accomplishments; carrying the Olympic torch, being called a hero by the first American to win the Tour de France, riding his bike from L.A. to D.C. while peddling with one leg, and so much more!  The Kevin Degen Open Road Foundation.

For any parent of a child with special needs (or any needs for that matter), Kevin's eulogy by his friends and family has been a source of inspiration for me.  Listen to the portion where his sister, Colleen tells of how his parents encouraged him to be strong and independent.  Kevin's Memorial Service

When my sister Julie decided to celebrate her 50th birthday by jumping out of a plane, none of us six siblings, including me, had the courage to join in but Kevin did!  He trusted in himself and the staff to lift him out of his wheelchair, get into the jump seat, and go.  Kevin's jump.

Again, we were amazingly blessed with Kevin's spirit and are now with Donovan's!  The next time you see an indivudual with differences, don't feel sorry for what they don't have, look at them with the same awe as you do for others you admire; they are likely accomplishing amazing things against the odds.

-Bridget