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 Thrombocytopenia Absent Radius Syndrome, which among other things can cause a shortening of the upper extremities and a blood clotting disorder.
The condition is so rare that their doctor at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children thought it would be meaningful for the families to connect, and for the boys to see other people like them.
The families are now developing a relationship.
“I hope that I’m able to mentor him a little bit,” Luke said at one of their meetings.
“It’s nice to be able to pass along those little tips and encouragement,” Luke’s mother Tonia said.
Luke shows Hutt’s parents how he can navigate on a computer, so they know what their child could do someday.
“I kind of move the mouse with my foot and click with my big toe,” he said.
All of the information means a lot to the Martin family.
“It was so great to see and have that connection and be able to talk to someone,” Lindi Martin said.
She and her husband are dreaming big for their son.
“I just want him to be who he wants to be,” Shane Martin said.
“You’ll see how resilient these kids are,” Dr. Jue Cao, an orthopedic surgeon at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children, said. “These kids can put their mind to anything and achieve that. It’s so cool.”
That’s the message that Luke’s family has for Hutt’s family as well.
“I just hope they learn how to be able to adapt and realize there’s nothing their son can’t do,” Luke’s dad, Randy Schmidt said.