This 8-Year-Old's Unflinching Devotion Towards His Disabled Brother Is Pure Inspiration
In our FEEL GOOD FRIDAY column this week, we present to you an awe-inspiring story of a brother's love for another. His name is Noah Aldrich, and the 8-year-old boy carried his disabled younger brother, who can't eat, walk or talk, through a triathlon!
By Sadho Ram — 25 Jul 2014, 05:59 PM — Updated over 10 years ago
Noah and Lucas Aldrich are brothers living in Boise, Idaho. Lucas was born with lissencephaly, a rare brain disorder that affects development and growth.
For 8-year-old Noah, his 6-year-old sibling, Lucas, is more than a brother; he's a best friend. And to say they go everywhere together doesn't even scratch the surface.
Lucas can't walk or talk, but Noah makes sure it doesn't stop Lucas from participating in his favourite activities like biking, skiing, and going to Disneyland
With the help of his brother Noah, Lucas has even participated in marathons. Noah, speaking about his brother, says "I like everything about him, he's perfect."
Recently, Noah and Lucas showed that amazing feats can be accomplished with a little strength and a lot of love. They successfully completed a youth Triathlon together, where Noah pushed and pulled his brother through a 200-meter swim, three-mile bike ride, and one-mile run in the Idaho heat.
Earlier this month, Noah completed a mini-triathlon in Boise, Idaho, all while alternately pushing and pulling Lucas. For the course's 1-mile run, Noah pushed his brother in a jogging stroller. He pulled the same stroller behind his bike for the 3-mile ride, and he completed the 200-meter swim by strapping himself into a harness, which he attached to a floating raft with Lucas safely on top.
"They definitely have a special bond, the two of them," their father, Brian, said. "You see Lucas light up so much when Noah enters the room. It just brings a smile to your face when you see the love between the boys."
According to a blog about Lucas on the family's Caring Bridge page, doctors diagnosed Lucas with lissencephaly shortly after he was born. The rare condition, which the National Institutes of Health attributes to "defective neuronal migration during embryonic development," is often accompanied by seizures, greatly reduced motor function and a shortened lifespan.
nydailynews.comUndeterred, Noah is intent on squeezing as much life into those years as he can. He told Boise's Fox 9 he decided to compete in the triathlon with Lucas because his brother doesn't typically get to participate in sports. "[Most of] the time when I play sports he has to just watch," Noah said. "I just want to finish with Lucas."
bleacherreport.com
The duo finish the triathlon in a time just over 54 minutes. And while Lucas had a smile on his face for hours afterward, many adults at the finish line couldn't contain their tears
"Tears flow," wrote one commenter on Facebook, "What LOVE!"
facebook.com
"He's not heavy, he's my brother," Noah says about Lucas
“It’s just amazing to see the love between the brothers, and the willingness of Noah, that he wants to do something like this to include his brother in an event that a lot of kids with special needs would never get to do,” the boy’s mother told the outlet.
themighty.com