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Casey Brickey
Hatteberg's People
Reporter: Larry Hatteberg
| September 1, 2002--Casey Brickey has lived with Muscular Dystrophy most of his life. The Arkansas City teenager is one of many whose life is surrounded by wheelchairs, braces and frequent visits to the doctor. Yet, his attitude toward life is to embrace every moment. |  |  | It's an attitude that seems almost odd coming from one who faces as many challenges as Casey. It seems odd...until you meet him. We caught up with him on the football field where he is the team manager. | "So what I did last year was keeping stats for the team. Stats like who got the tackle, who got the assists, that sort of thing."
On the football field, he moves his motorized wheel chair along the sidelines like a quarterback getting reading to throw. He is just one of the guys. "This year, the coach wants me to be more involved with the team. He wants me to do more leadership things and I'm pretty excited about that."
In class, driving his wheelchair through the halls of Arkansas City High School, Casey is just one of the students. Nothing special, nothing different. Yet he constantly must deal with the thoughtless folks who have never stopped to talk with him.
"Sometimes I get weird looks and then when I say something intelligent, people look at each other and say...the kid in the wheelchair said that? That's the thing I really don't like about it (the disease), the fact that you're in a wheelchair people think you are retarded. My goal during the Muscular Dystrophy Telethon is not only to raise money for this disease, but to get the awareness out that next time you see someone in a wheelchair, or walks a little different; don't just assume that they have mental problems.
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Make the time to get to know them. Maybe you'll find someone who is the nicest person you ever met. Or maybe they are one of the biggest go-getters out there." Those who do stop and talk with Casey soon find an incredible young man behind the disease, A young man who is intelligent far beyond his years.
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"OK, I got this bad hand, what can I do with it. How can I work it to my advantage? I don't feel sorry for myself. I feel lucky I am the way I am because I know I can be ten times worse. That's how I like to look at everything. Life can always be worse so instead of crying about it, let's smile about it and see what we can do with this life."
On the football field or in the classroom, Casey Brickey is not only learning about life. He's teaching the rest of us a thing or two. And as we've watched him grow up throughout the years, you can be sure that he is like every other teenager...just listen. |  | "I'm just like a normal teenager. I milk the disease for what it is worth. Sometimes I can work my way out of doing some assignments at school or chores at home, then I guess I use muscular dystrophy to my advantage quite a bit. Just don't tell my parents or teachers that." His secret is safe with me. |
It is always a pleasure working with Casey, particularly this year on the 32nd annual Muscular Dystrophy Telethon. With Casey's powerful presence, in Kansas we raised more than $600,000 toward finding a cure for this disease.
It wouldn't happen without young people like Casey opening up his life so the rest of us can take a peak at what he faces every day.
It is a privilege knowing a young man like Casey Brickey. |
| | Have a story idea for Hatteberg's People? Send Larry an email with the details. | |
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