When we are born, we have our entire life ahead of us and we have options and opportunities that we may never have considered. This is clearly seen in the following twins, with one healthy and the other facing life-threatening difficulties.
The twins were only a few minutes apart whether the mother gave birth, but their lives would be completely different. The first child born was 11 pounds and very robust, but the other child was underweight and was not breathing at birth.
As they grew up, they would experience all that life had to give to them, including a life-threatening crisis that would take place when they were teenagers. They were able to overcome it and in the process, a bond was formed that would never be broken.
Actually, when the parents, Larry and Diane were in the delivery room, they were only expecting one child to be born. The second child, who was born with underdeveloped lungs and was not breathing eventually would experience further delays in his development.
By the time the second twin was three years old, he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. His hearing, speech, and vision along with his mobility were affected as a result.
The family did their best to provide the loving environment necessary for both boys to grow up happy. Outside of the home, however, things were different.
He said: “I had all of the stereotypes that come with having a disability. I was called every name in the book on the playground. I had difficulty making friends.”
His older brother when would be there for him to stand up to the bullies. They became inseparable.
The older brother would try to shield his younger brother from all of the problems the world was throwing at him. He would tell his brother that he wished he could take it all off of him, and he was willing to prove it.
When they were teenagers, financial struggles within the family became severe. They had to rely on food stamps and there was a lot of stress in the home.
The parents would eventually divorce, and the boys would have to get through a very difficult time together. The healthier brother went to work to support his family the best way he could, and sometimes he would work several jobs.
This included sweeping up at the General Mills factory and selling blood for money.
When the twins were 13, the younger one was diagnosed with viral cardiomyopathy. His heart grew four times its normal size and doctors are saying he would die within a week or so. He eventually went into cardiac arrest.
He only had 48 hours to live they were looking for a donor to give him a new heart. The older brother did offer his heart, feeling that he could not handle losing his sibling.
It didn’t come to that because a suitable heart donor was found and the successful transplant took place. The younger twin said years later that he was just grateful to wake up every day.
When they got older, the healthier twin went to the University of Iowa to study biochemical engineering. He wanted to work to find cures for conditions like his brother faced.
When he was in his sophomore year, he was picked up by a modeling scout and invited to an Iowa talent show. He won the show, providing additional opportunities to go to New York. That opened many doors for him, including doing a billboard for Calvin Klein.
It was a detour from what he had considered, but it eventually led to a Hollywood career. The younger twin, however, recovered from his heart transplant and went to a small Catholic college and then worked in banking.
He tried to keep his condition private but in 2003, his brother revealed it on national television. It upset him, but he later appreciated how it shaped his life.
These days, Ashton and Michael Kutcher are living fulfilling lives. They have had their share of challenges, but they have gone on to be successful in their own way.
