Lucas Aldrich has completed more than a dozen triathlons over the years, and that’s no small feat for a young boy who can’t walk, speak or even feed himself without assistance.
That assistance comes in large part from his older brother, Noah, a steadfast sibling who’s spent years competing in the races right alongside him, inching their way closer and closer to those ever-elusive finish lines.
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Lucas was born with lissencephaly, a neurological disorder that emerged when he was just a few months old, and left him almost entirely dependent on his family for his most basic needs. He’s also prone to seizures and pneumonia, but his family won’t let any of those things get in the way of him living as full and active a lifestyle as possible. Of course, nothing would be possible without his devoted older brother.
“(Lucas) most of the time doesn’t get to do what I get to do; most the time when I play sports he has to just watch,”12-year-old Noah explained.
When he found out their local YMCA in Idaho was hosting a mini-triathlon for children back in the summer of 2014, he couldn’t just let his little brother just sit there as a spectator. They would cross the finish line together. They trained throughout the spring, and on the day of the event, they were off! Noah pushed then-six-year-old Lucas in a stroller during the one-mile run…
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He biked with Lucas in a trailer for three miles…
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And pulled him in a raft to complete the swim portion of the race!
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They finished with a combined time of 54 minutes, and that first success was just the encouragement they needed to enter the next one. They’ve been at it ever since, and they’ve been warming hearts and inspiring others for just as long.
This dynamic duo competes under the team name “Lucas House,”after the nonprofit their mom, Alissa, hopes to open soon in Eagle, Idaho. She envisions a place of respite, where children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions like Lucas’s can find relief and comfort during a short stay. Meanwhile, their parents will have an opportunity to relax themselves, taking a much-needed break to let their batteries recharge.
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To find out more about Lucas House and donate to the cause, click here.
This is one of the sweetest and most inspirational examples of sibling love and care we’ve ever run across, and we hope you share it far and wide to show others what true devotion looks like!
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