Reflections on my life

An interview with Michael Kutcher

What differences do you see in daily life between your childhood and today? What differences do you hope to see in the future?

I guess I get caught up in words like “daily life.” It's interesting. Unfortunately, I don't know if I see many. Health care has gotten better. There's been more advancements in medical research for some disabilities. But as I look at treatments, as I look at research, as I look at diagnosis, as I look at therapy, we've made advancements. We've made headway. There definitely wasn't a Fun and Function back when I was growing up. My Mom was on her own for treatment. There were very little physical therapy needs and resources available for me when I was growing up. Today, there are some, there are some advancements, and some good things going on, but I feel like there is still such a big gap. I really can't pinpoint why that is. I think it's just simply because, back to my point, the disability community hasn't received the right conditions that they deserve yet. I know that we are, as a culture, a society, a nation, a world, we're starting to do great things in other communities. Whether it be minorities, whether it be race, LGBTQ, other types of communities. We've come a long way in those communities since I was a child. But I think it's time to make a difference in the disability community and to start to make some changes, and start to have that influence and band together as a community and demand some change.  

What would childhood you be most proud of about you now?  

I think the young me would be proud of all of my accomplishments as an adult.  I’ve been given the opportunity and made the opportunity to have a positive impact on myself, my family, and many other people.  I feel I’ve taken the chance to grow through experiences and have learned how to share those experiences with others to enact positive change in the world.

Is there a piece of advice or knowledge you wish you could tell childhood you?

Slow down a bit and enjoy your youth. We all want to grow up and hit milestones so quickly when we are young, but when we reach those moments we often look back on our younger years and wish we could go back.

Who inspires you? 

A lot of people inspire me, my brother is the closest inspiration in my life, but I also meet a lot of people that have incredible stories, some which are more uplifting than mine.  We all have the ability to inspire others, and inspiration comes in many forms. 

What is the future that you do imagine and what steps do you think we need to begin to take to get there as a society?

I think it's acceptance first. It's having the ability to look at an individual and not see their differences and just see who they are. Isn't that what everyone wants? Until we can get there, I think acceptance is the first step. Until you can say, "Hey, you know that people with disabilities are very successful, very high functioning and they have a lot of ability". Until everyone gets to that mindset, instead of when we hear the word disability you go right to, the guy in the wheelchair, who is... I guess scrap that because that guy is probably successful as hell as well. Until we as a society get that thought out of our heads that people with disabilities don't have abilities at all, then we're lost. So acceptance in my mind is the first step. How long is it going to take? I don't know. I know that it's a huge community and all we need is to start the movement. My kids see [disability] first hand, and they have me to teach them because I'm affected by it. If you're not affected by it, you're not going to sit down at the table and talk to the kids about it. They're not going to be surrounded by it. That's unfortunate because what should occur is, when you walk down the street with your child at a young age, and your child asks questions about this individual or that individual, you have the conversation with them, at the appropriate age. You have the conversation with them, and you explain to them why there are differences in all people, but that doesn't make anyone less than another.

What are you doing to make that future a reality?

First and foremost, sharing my story. I'm sharing my story about overcoming obstacles and about an individual with a disability that still thrives in the world. I thrive not only from a career standpoint, but also in my biggest success, my family.  The love and value that I bring to my own family is the biggest success story I'll ever have. Yeah, guess what? I did it while having a disability. I'm proud of that. In my eyes, individuals with disabilities have to work a hell of a lot harder than those without. So there's some sense of accomplishment there that I have. In speaking to people, and telling them that story of overcoming obstacles, and sharing the ways that have inspired me to overcome obstacles, I hope that they come away from the messages and think to themselves, "You know what, there's a guy whose been through a lot in his life,", not just my disability, but in my health, my heart transplant and surgeries as well.  “But this guy keeps going". What do I have to be sorry for? If I can inspire one person like that, I feel worthwhile and that I have accomplished my goal. Partnering with groups that have the lifeline in this like I do, will help to change the world, to change societal views, and how we view the disability community. I've been fortunate enough to find friendship and collaboration with Fun and Function and other organizations and communities that share my same passion. As I said, it takes only a few people to start a conversation which turns into many and invokes change. That's how I'm hoping I can do it, and how I hope to continue to be that voice for the community. By showing the world that we all have abilities and we're all different and that's okay.