DENVER (KDVR) — Hutt Martin is just 8 months old and Luke Schmidt is 15. Both boys have an extremely rare genetic condition called TAR, or Absent Radial Thrombocytopenia Syndrome, which among other things can cause shortening of the upper extremities and a blood clotting disorder.
The condition is so rare that her doctor at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children thought it would be meaningful for families to connect and for children to see other people like themselves.
The families are now developing a relationship.
“I hope I can guide you a little bit,” Luke said in one of their meetings.
“It’s nice to be able to pass on those little tips and encouragement,” said Tonia, Luke’s mother.
Luke shows Hutt’s parents how he can navigate a computer, so they know what their son might one day do.
“I move the mouse with my foot and click with my big toe,” he said.
All the information means a lot to the Martin family.
“It was great to see and have that connection and be able to talk to someone,” Lindi Martin said.
She and her husband dream big for their son.
“I just want him to be who he wants to be,” Shane Martin said.
“You will see how resilient these children are,” said Dr. Jue Cao, an orthopedic surgeon at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children. “These kids can put their mind to anything and get it done. It’s so good.”
That’s the message that Luke’s family has for the Hutt family as well.
“I just hope they learn to adjust and realize there’s nothing their son can’t do,” Luke’s father, Randy Schmidt, said.
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