Dick Hoyt Gives Disabled Son Rick a Wonderful RideThrough Life

After enjoying a rare Father's Day with my own Dad, I thought I'd share the story of one of my favorite Dad heroes here.  I hesitate to rewrite his story, as it is told very well on the blog that sponsors their work.  But I need to at least touch on the finer points, as their son Rick is about my age.  I can't help but put myself in his shoes and feel gratitude for the experiences Dick has brought to him.

After a rough birth, Judy Hoyt and her husband Dick were dismayed to learn that their newborn son was going to be disabled.  Because of a lack of oxygen during the birth, little Rick Hoyt was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, and would be confined to a wheel chair.  Facing this devastating news, Dick and Judy were encouraged to put Rick into an institution where he could be cared for by professionals.  Realizing that doing so would be equivalent to giving him away, they refused.  Instead they chose to train themselves to care for him as well as the professionals.  And they tried to give him a 'normal' childhood, as normal as they could.

Note that Rick was born in 1962 when disabilities were still hidden and normalcy was championed.  That's a nice way of saying that people still gawked at disabled people in public and many times shunned them from society.  There were very few if any disabled people enrolled in public schools because bullying was rampant and regarded as a rite of passage, even a necessary part of growing up.  Parents of children like Rick had few options-- institutionalize or do it all themselves at home.  As they were unable to enroll him in public schools, Dick and Judy did taught him at home.  Judy taught him the alphabet with sandpaper letters and labelled everything in the house with its name. 

Rick was a bright boy hidden in a body that didn't work very well.  He couldn't speak and could barely control his movements.  Working with him, his parents were convinced he really had a keen mind.  They made efforts to find ways for him to communicate with them.  Contacting Tufts University, Dick and Judy arranged for a special computer to be made with a cursor and a keyboard.  A sensor was placed in a headpiece near Rick's head.  He could move the cursor to letters, then bump the sensor with his head to select a letter and form words on the screen.  At ten years old, Rick could finally communicate!  His first words?  'Go Bruins!'  The family had been watching the Stanley Cup Finals with Rick's favorite team, the Boston Bruins. 

As Ricks intelligence became more and more apparent now that he could communicate, the family continued to work toward his enrollment in public schools.  Those efforts paid off when Rick was 13 and he was finally accepted.

A few years later, Rick told his father that he wanted to participate in a benefit run to help a lacrosse player who had recently become paralyzed in a terrible accident.  Dick was not a runner, but agreed to push Rick in a wheelchair through the 5 mile race.  Completing the race second to last, Dick was amazed when Rick told him how much he enjoyed being in the race.  Rick made a pivotal statement, words that changed Dick's life forever:

"Dad, when I'm running, I feel like I'm not handicapped."

Those words had a huge impact on Dick.  He finally had a way to help his disabled son feel freed from his handicaps.  Even if it was just for a few minutes at a time, when Dick ran pushing Rick in a wheelchair, Rick felt normal.  Dick did what a great dad will do for his child:  he made it happen as often as he could.

Thirty-seven year old Dick began running daily pushing bags of cement (because Rick was in school,) training for whatever races in which they could run.  Starting small with 5k races, soon Dick could run longer races like Marathons with Rick.  A special three wheeled chair became Rick's favorite place as he ran with his father.  As Dick became stronger, Dick entered Triathlons,  in which participants swam, biked and ran.  For the swim portion, Rick rides in a small blow-up boat while Dick pulls it with a vest and cables attached to the boat.  Completing the swim, Dick scoops up Rick and buckles him into a seat in the front of a specially made bike.  From there, Dick carries Rick to his special running chair to sprint to the finish.  There is hardly anything more touching to see Dick, an aged father, running with his son in his arms.

Dick and Rick have completed over 1000 races together, including 70 Marathons, some Duathlons and 6 Ironman Triathlons.  Their personal best time in a 5K is 17 minutes!  (My best is in the 20's, and I am just running, not pushing anyone.)  They have also crossed the continent running and biking, doing so in 1992 in 45 days. 

They have run the Boston Marathon 30 times!  My husband Scott ran it twice; it's a challenging race.  I can't imagine how hard it would have been for him to push over 100 pounds the whole time!  And Dick has done that 30 times!

Just prior to the Boston Marathon in April 2013, a bronze statue was dedicated to them.  Later, when they were running the Boston Marathon, the bombs went off when they were one mile from the finish line.  Neither were injured, although they were caught up in the confusion and disappointment as were the other runners. 

With his family's support, Rick completed high school and went on to graduate from Boston University with a degree in Special Education.  He taught courses at Boston College for a while.

Dick's favorite statement is, "Yes, You Can!"  He taught that to his son and lives it with every race they run. 

Now that Dick is 73 and Rick 51, they have lessened their race schedule, while increasing their speaking schedule.  Together they make a very motivational team as they speak to school students and business groups. Their goal is to educate people about living with disabilities, but they teach so much more.   They can show that, with determination and support, people can do amazing things. And that a father's love changes lives.

When Rick was asked what he could give his father, he said, "The thing I'd most like is for my dad to sit in the chair and I would push him for once."

I can't help but admire this wonderful man, Dick Hoyt, for the sacrifices he made to give his disabled son Rick a good life.  It's amazing to see this over 70 year old man, a really old man by society's standards, running a Marathon while pushing his son.  When you question if you can do something hard, remember Dick Hoyt.  Yes, you really CAN do it.

Watch 'Can,' the inspirational video telling their story.  It can be seen at www.teamhoyt.com.  Have kleenex handy.

Photo courtesy of AMS vans found at blog.amsvans.com

Sources:

Team Hoyt.  Wikipedia.  30 May 2013.  Accessed 26 June 2013.  Web.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team_Hoyt

Team Hoyt.  2012.  Accessed 26 June 2013.  Web.  www.teamhoyt.com. 

Jade Wilcoxson Turned a Diagnosis into a Triumph

Most people have a hard time taking their doctor’s advice when they are told to change behaviors.  No one wants to adopt diet restrictions or begin exercising, even when his or her health is on the line.  If he or she complies, it’s usually just to meet the new requirements.  It’s a rare person who exceeds doctor recommendations.  Jade Wilcoxson is one of those rare people who not only exceeded her doctor’s expectations in her lifestyle changes, she became a national champion and is poised to compete in the next Olympic games!

Jade was 26 years old when she learned that her blood sugar levels were high and that she carried a genetic predisposition to diabetes.  She didn’t feel any differently, but she had seen what diabetes had done to several of her family members.  Jade knew that she needed to take even better care of her body to avoid developing this disease. She had played soccer professionally and dabbled in other sports and she already ate nutritiously.  What more could she do?

The same year she learned she was prediabetic, Jade had completed a doctorate degree in physical therapy.  Each day, Jade worked with disabled patients overcoming obstacles in performing physical tasks.  She recalled, “It takes months of hard work to go from not being able to move in bed to being able to walk at home safely, and it is painful work.  Those patients inspired me.”

Some friends dragged Jade out to mountain bike with them.  She was surprised that she could stay up with them through the rough course, although she was riding for the first time.  “They were shocked when I could hang on with them and ride a lot of the stuff they thought was difficult.  So, being a very competitive person, I was intrigued by the opportunity to be able to show the boys I could [beat them] on a regular basis.”

After a while, Jade’s roommate’s brother dragged Jade and her new mountain bike to a 100 mile race.  Jade placed ahead of all of the other women competing!  She was stunned, and hooked!  She trained for hours after work.  Switching to a road racing bike, Jade began to train for speed.  Jade began competing in local races in her hometown and winning.  When she beat Kristin Armstrong (an Olympic Gold medalist) at the 2011 Sea Otter Classic, she quit her job and turned professional.  She was now 34 years old, ten years older than the average age of professional cyclists.  Despite that fact, Jade had talent, trained hard, and won races!  

Jade joined a cycling team with three other cyclists named “Optum Pro,” named after a health-care company.  With the help of a trainer, and years of training, this team won the US Pro National Championship last week!  Jade was the first to cross the finish line and gets to wear a special jacket all year.  She humbly said, “I just happened to be the lucky one that crossed the line. Cycling is funny that way. It is 100% a team sport, but in many ways, only one person gets the recognition.”  Now she has set her eyes on the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro Brazil, when she will be 38 years old!  That will be a race to watch.

Jade hopes that she is setting a good example for good health, using her new celebrity status to send a public health message to the world.  She has lost 20 pounds since her diagnosis 9 years ago and her blood sugar levels are back to normal.  People are hearing her story about how she turned her pre-diabetic diagnosis around.  “I struggle with what I’m doing now to help people’s lives, to help the world as a whole.  Cycling is a selfish profession.  You have to be self centered in your training and travel.” 

Her advice to all of us:  “Make some changes that will pay off tenfold down the road.”  That’s exactly what Jade did—she made changes that paid off in a big way almost 10 years later.  Not only did she stave off a terrible debilitating disease, but she became a National Champion!  Jade shows us that we can take bad news and make something great with hard work and determination.

Works Cited

Helliker, Kevin. "Cycling's One-in-a-Million Star." Wall Street Journal 14 June 2013: d8. Print.

Wilcoxson, Jade. Jade Wilcoxson.com. 3 June 2013. web. 20 June 2013.  

Photo courtesy of Flickr

No Lack of Heroes Causing Lack of Posts

May is a crazy month at our house, hence the lack of posts in May.  Every May our family struggles to stay ahead of end-of-year activities at the three schools that the kids attend.  Last year I got ahead by writing several posts early and posting them weekly.  Not this year...

So I forgive myself and enjoy the week anyway.  I'll be back on track in June.  There is no lack of heroes, it's just a full life with the attendant responsibilities that come to a Mom with a large family. 

I find myself in the enviable position of being surrounded by my kids and grand-kids, with my parents along, on our family vacation to the beach.  The ocean waves rhythmically wash ashore outside my window just 40 feet away as I type this.  A day of body-surfing or boogie-boarding and sea shell collecting is unfolding as the kids awake and prepare for fun.  Observing the Sabbath yesterday at Church just heightened our anticipation to hit the surf today.  It will be our first time in the water since arriving on the South Carolina coast on Saturday afternoon. 

Arranging this weeks' vacation took stressful effort which, combined with the typical over-scheduled month, took all of my energy.  Was it worth it?  Oh yes.  No doubt!  The downer is that the hero blog is neglected.  Heroes go unnoticed.  But they will wait.  There are so many great lives to honor, I will forgive myself and enjoy the week.  Kids are slathering on sunscreen and gathering their swim gear.  Time to get back to the present and bask in this loving family.  It is my greatest blessing.

Photo is a view from our rental home courtesy of FindRentals.com. 

Priest Peter Whalen Ministers to Civil War Friend and Foe POWs

This weekend we visited Savannah with our kids.  We pulled them out of school for a family field trip to some excellent historical sites in Savannah and Tybee Island.  Among them, we visited Fort Pulaski, scene of a famous battle in the Civil War.  There I learned about a wonderful man named Peter Whalen who may have ministered to my ancestor David Earley languishing there.  (To read about David Earley's experience there, click here:  David Earley POW at Andersonville)

Peter Whalen was born in Ireland, but moved to Charleston, South Carolina where he was ordained a Priest in the Catholic faith in 1830.  Having moved to Savannah, Georgia, he was sixty years old when he volunteered to minister to the Confederate troops holding Fort Pulaski during the Civil War.  He arrived around September 1961.  As their Chaplain, he administered the Catholic rites and comforted the soldiers.  Slowly, Union forces cut off contact with outlying troops, causing more stress and discomfort among the soldiers.  It also severed his ability to return to Savannah, where he had been serving in the Catholic diocese.  For six months, Father Whalen lived the life of a soldier within the walls of Fort Pulaski.  Father Whalen also suffered the stresses of bombardment as the Union, using new rifled cannons, blasted a hole in Fort Pulaski over 30 hours of gunfire in April 1862.

Once Colonel Olmstead surrended the fort on April 11, 1862, the Confederate soldiers were divided up to be sent to POW camps.  Father Whalen was offered his freedom at this point, but refused, saying that 'his boys needed him.'  He went with one group to Governor's Island in New York to stay at Castle William POW camp.  Here, he found the soldiers barefoot and cold.  He quickly got food and clothing sent from Baltimore, Maryland, then from his friends in New York.  These friends petitioned that Father Whalen be released, as he was not a soldier but a clergy caught in the battle, and they agreed.  But when Father Whalen was offered his freedom again, he said no.  He wanted to stay with the boys who needed him more than ever now.   Instead he stayed with them until all of them were paroled or sent home in August 1863.

Returning home to Savannah, he assumed responsibility for the religious needs of all the Confederate forces serving throughout Georgia.  That commitment would be tested with his next assignment:  Andersonville Prison Camp.  

In May 1864, After Reverend William Hamilton happened upon Andersonville, requested entrance to see if any Catholics resided there, he was shocked at what he saw.  Seeing droves of filthy, starving men prompted him to write to the local Bishop Verot for someone to serve them.  In part, he wrote this in his letter,"…I found the stockade extremely filthy; the men all huddled together and covered with vermin (lice).… I found [the hospital] almost as crowded as the stockade. The men were dying there very rapidly from scurvy…diarrhea and dysentery…They were not only covered with the ordinary vermin but also maggots…they had nothing under them at all except the ground."  Bishop Verot asked Father Whelan to go to Andersonville, this time to minister to enemy POWs. 

Father Whelan arrived on 16 June 1964 and was equally horrified by conditions at Andersonville.  Writer Donald McClary wrote, "From dawn to dusk he heard confessions, ministered to the sick, and gave comfort and the Final Sacrament to the many dying.  Father Whelan was helped in his labors by other volunteer priests and Bishop Verot who visited Andersonville twice.  Protestant Union soldiers noted wryly in their diaries that the ministers of their own denominations were put to shame by the Christian love and charity shown by Father Whelan and the other priests.  Hearing of the work of Father Whelan Protestant ministers did eventually begin to come to Andersonville to assist the prisoners."

Although Father Whelan was able to bring in other ministers to help periodically, none of them stayed for the duration of the war.  Father Hamilton himself came for a time but quickly contracted illness and left at Father Whelan’s urging. 

Father Whelan was not interred at the POW camp, but slept a mile away in a small hut.  Every day, he walked willingly into the camp and ministered to the haggard and sickly inhabitants.  And as he had done in Castle William, he contacted his friends to gather food, clothing and supplies to distribute to the masses who needed them, a small drop in the bucket of an immense need. Many called him the 'Angel of Andersonville' because of his benevolence to all prisoners.  Others called him the 'Good Samaritan.'

Hearing that General Sherman was close to invading and liberating Andersonville, in August 1864, Father Whelan prepared to leave.  He borrowed $16,000 Confederate money (or $400 in gold) to buy enough flour to feed thousands.  With it, he bought 10,000 pounds of flour, which he had made into bread.  This came to be known as ‘Whalen’s bread’, which he had distributed to the prisoners in Andersonville.  For some, it was enough to hold them until the end of the war.  It was his last offering of help to those too destitute to care for themselves. 

October 1^st brought Sherman and the anticipated liberation of those left at Andersonville.  Father Whelan explained his leaving by saying, “I stayed until the vast portion of the prisoners were removed to other points.  I would have stayed longer if the prisoners had been retained.  My duties were those of a Catholic priest; nothing more.  I had no commission from the government; I went there voluntarily without pay or remuneration, further than merely to receive rations.”

With the movement of the prisoners, Father Whelan returned to Savannah once more to resume his duties there.  But with him, Father Whelan carried a cough from germs unavoidably caught while serving amongst the prisoners.  Private Henry M. Davidson of 1^st Ohio Light Artillery wrote of Father Whelan, “By coming here he exposed himself to great danger of infection… His services were sought by all, for, in his kind and sympathizing looks, his meek but earnest appearance, the despairing prisoners read that all humanity had not forsaken mankind.”

Although Father Whelan suffered from Tuberculosis (most likely) he continued to minister to his congregants until his death in 1871.  He even testified in defense of Captain Henry Wirz, the keeper of Andersonville prison camp, at his trial in 1865.    

McCreary summed it up nicely when he said, “In a time of bitter civil war Father Whelan ministered to both imprisoned friend and foe as his brothers in Christ.”  Father Peter Whelan ministered in the truest Christian manner, freely to all.  At a time in his life when most are easing into retirement, Whelan voluntarily lived and served among the lowliest of mankind in the worst prison camp in America's history. 

Works Cited

Chipman, Norton Parker. The Tragedy of Andersonville: The Trial of Captain Henry Wirz. Sacramento: Self Published, 1911. Print.

McClarey, Donald. The American Catholic: Priest of Andersonville. 21 April 2009. web. 6 May 2013.  http://the-american-catholic.com/2009/04/21/priest-of-andersonville/

Various. Wikipedia: Peter Whelan (priest). 9 April 2013. web. 6 May 2013.

Photo courtesy of Wikicommons

Elder John B. Dickson Uses His Disability to Help Others

Last week I wrote about an inspiring man who learned how to survive with only one arm.  His story brings to mind another great man with a similar disability.  Recently we were visiting family over the weekend of Semi-Annual General Conference.  Leaders from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints speak over two days of meetings, which are broadcast to chapels and over the internet.  We were grateful to be with family viewing these great talks.  

When Elder John B. Dickson rose to speak, my brother-in-law Brad mentioned that he was missing an arm.  That was surprising, as he looked completely whole in his nice suit.  Brad was aware of this because Elder Dickson had family in Brad’s area in Washington, and often visited.  I want to share the circumstances of his loss and its significance. 

John had a pretty ordinary life until his mission call to Mexico in 1962.  Born and raised in the church, he always planned to serve a mission.  In his preparation to serve, he learned he had cancer in the bone of his right arm.  His case was serious enough that his doctor didn’t think he’d survive the month.  His father gave him a Priesthood blessing, where John related “he blessed me with my life and that the mission call would be fulfilled, and that I would have a family and be able to serve the Lord all my days.” John proceeded with treatment, which involved amputating the arm.  Ten months after diagnosis, John left for Mexico to serve the Lord.

Far from complaining about his lost limb, he considers it a blessing.  “Losing my arm has proved to be one of the greater blessings in my life. I am more patient with other people because I have had to be patient with myself.  It has helped me to understand the necessity of our having challenges in life to help develop our character and stamina, helping us to become what the Lord ultimately wants us to become.”  Brad agrees, “He was a great inspiration to everyone who knew him because he never let his disability define him.”  It seems to me that he keeps his disability to himself, unless he can use his experience to help others.  

A few years ago in 2008, his experience gave him an opportunity to help another.  After a terrible accident, a member of John’s Stake named David faced a serious decision.  His left leg was severely damaged, so much so that cells were dying and infection was threatening David’s life.  When John visited David, this faithful member asked John, his former Stake President, for advice.  John replied by pulling up his right sleeve and revealing his stump.  He then advised him to do whatever it took to save his life.  David’s daughter Nichole said, “What a perfect man to be counseling dad on this life-altering decision.”  David chose to have his leg amputated to remove the problem.  It saved his life; David recovered well and is moving on with his life.  

John doesn’t advertise his disability, instead he takes the lessons learned from it to help others.  Using our trials to help others is one way to show our appreciation for the Savior, for all of the sacrifices He made for us.  Without Him and the hope His teachings and atonement give us, life would be really sad and empty.  Elder John B. Dickson sets a great example of faith and service as he moves ahead disregarding his disability.  He serves the Lord completely and inspires others to join him.   

Sources: 

Bullock, Nicole.  “Life or Limb?”  Cute Culture Chick.  21 Jan 2008.  Accessed 17 Apr 2013 at http://www.cuteculturechick.com/2008/01/life-or-limb/

Dickson, John B.  “Nobody Said That It Would Be Easy.”  October 1992 General Conference Priesthood Session.  lds.org

Photo courtesy of LDS Church

Paul Wittgenstein Didn't Let His Disability Stop his Dream

With Spring Break, an Eagle Project and a trip to see family, I have neglected to highlight heroes for a few weeks.  I'm back, with several new heroes in my pocket, ready to share.  As the tragedy at the Boston Marathon highlights, heroes are everywhere.  I'm happy to continue sharing their stories.  

I was surprised to hear on my local classical station the story of Paul Wittgenstein as an introduction to a lovely concerto.  Had I not been exposed to this little intro, I would have had a hard time believing that the piano portion of the composition was performed entirely with the left hand.  For Paul had the work composed for him, a one-armed concert pianist.

Paul was born in Vienna to a prosperous family.  They mingled with other musicians during a particularly active compositional phase in the history of music.  Showing early promise at the piano, Paul performed duets with Strauss, while just visiting with other famous composers like Labor, Brahms and Mahler when they visited his family.  After years of practice perfecting his technique, Paul debuted in Vienna as a Concert Pianist at the age of 25 in 1913.  Reviewers raved about his performances.  He had achieved his goal!  

Unfortunately, war broke out the next year.  Paul enlisted in the army and shipped off to the Eastern Front of World War 1.  He soon was shot and captured by the Russian army.  Awakening from surgery, he was stunned to see that his right arm was gone.  The bullet had pierced near the elbow; there was no other course than amputation due to the limited medical capabilities of the era.  

For a year, Paul recovered in a POW camp in Russia.  It was not just any POW camp; it was the infamous cold and dreary Omsk prison.  He must have had abundant time to consider his future as he lay in his cell healing.  What would he do?  He certainly couldn't ties his shoes, dress himself  or cut his own food by himself anymore.  

The bigger question may have been, 'Could he continue as a concert pianist?'  Fortunately it had been done before.  A man named Leopold Godowski had successfully rewritten compositions for play with just the left hand.  With determination, Paul found crates in the camp.  Stacking them to the height of a piano, he marked piano keys on the top crate with chalk and began practicing.  Hours and hours a day he used to practice the music he still heard clearly in his head.  At least he practiced the left hand of these complicated compositions.  And he tried to use his left hand to capture some of the right hand's notes.  

Trying to use one arm in place of two must have frustrated him.  Besides the pain of his injury, phantom pains in his missing arm, and the trauma of war and an uncertain future, he couldn't see how he could perform the current music he was accustomed to playing.  He wrote to his old friend Josef Labor begging him to write him some music that could be played solely with the left hand.  Blind and obliging, Labor wrote back that after hearing of Paul's' injury, he had already begun a composition for his friend.  While Paul recovered and practiced, Labor composed.  

Biographer Alexander Waugh wrote,  "Day after day and for hour upon hour, he addressed himself to this arduous and improbable task, tapping his freezing fingers on the wooden box, listening intently to the imagined music sounding in his head and creating, in the corner of a crowded festering invalids' ward, a tragicomic spectacle that aroused the sympathy and curiosity of his fellow prisoners and all the hospital staff."

After a visitor witnessed  Paul 'play' the crates in silence with his one arm, Paul was released to a hotel with a piano, then later released back to Austria as part of a prisoner exchange.  Amazingly, he reenlisted to serve in the war until it ended in 1918.  

In the meantime, Paul enlisted more composers to write music for him.  Dozens of pieces were composed for him, the most famous by Maurice Ravel titled "Piano Concerto for the Left Hand."  I think this is the one I heard on the radio the other day—a lovely piece that could hardly be noticeably different than the others utilizing two hands.  Perhaps that's because Paul had by now altered these compositions as creatively as possible to replicate normal play.  

Biographer Blake Howe explained, "Wittgenstein was keenly interested in training his left hand to manage the work of two hands, designing a repertoire of novel techniques to accommodate the many instances where such a conversion would otherwise appear to be physically impossible."

Paul wasn't going to come back to the music world as a one-armed but average performer.  He wanted to be excellent and on par with all musicians, two armed included.  He practiced and perfected his techniques, becoming once again the renown performer that he was before the war.  It must be noted that some of his renown was due to his status as the 'one armed pianist.'  Paul spent his life rejecting the pity often found even in the headlines of his performances.  The headline 'One Armed Pianist Performs' must have really irritated him.  

Howe wrote that "contemporary reviews of Wittgenstein's live performances were almost universally positive – gushingly and enthusiastically so, with frequent reports of standing ovations and multiple encores. Such critical praise, however, was tempered by condescension, as reviewers struggled to make sense of the incongruity posed by Wittgenstein's physical disability."

Paul Wittgenstein rose above his injury, persevered in his quest to become a world-class concert pianist.  Not even the loss of an arm stopped him.  Today his example is an inspiration to all who suffer from accidents and illnesses that threaten their way of life.  For me, he shows that with determination, one can do more with one hand than many do with two! My two hands included!

Sources: 

90.1 FM Broadcast (from memory) 4/15/2013

Business News:  A Musicians Determination And Acclaim.  Found on 4/17/2013 at http://www.healio.com/orthotics-prosthetics/prosthetics/news/print/o-and-p-business-news/%7B52beae61-3d8b-48b7-b75b-934c5f13cb56%7D/a-musicians-determination-and-acclaim

Wikipedia:  Paul Wittgenstein.  Updated 1 April 2013; accessed 17 April 2013. 

See the YouTube Video of Paul performing Ravel's piece in 1933.  

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.