Boy born with organs outside of his body survives and graduates from high school
When Larry Prout Jr was born, his parents were unable to rejoice because doctors told them their son had only a 20% chance of survival.
Larry was born with spina bifida and an omphalocele, a large hole in his abdomen that exposed his abdominal organs outside his body.
Doctors discovered Larry was missing his colon, as well as some of his muscles and vertebrae, after he was born.
Larry had to endure 104 surgeries to keep this little baby alive, and now, against all odds, he graduated from high school and celebrated his 19th birthday.
”He has 37 different diagnoses the last time I counted. He was missing things. He was missing his colon and we’ve learned now a few vertebrae and even different muscles. There are a lot of parts of Larry that just aren’t there. The first years of his life were about putting him back together,” his mother, Kathy Prout, told Bleacher Report in 2017.
Larry’s survival is a miracle, and he hasn’t let his condition prevent him from living life to the fullest and seizing every opportunity that comes his way.
He was nonverbal until the age of three, learned to walk when he was nine, and voluntarily removed his feeding tube when he was fifteen to attend high school.
Larry was introduced to Michigan football by the nonprofit Team IMPACT, which matches kids with chronic health issues with college sports teams.
For the past three years, Larry has attended every home game and practice, and he has even formed a special friendship with player Chase Winovich.
“He was losing his self-esteem, he wasn’t liking his body,” mom Kathy told the Boston Globe. “And then these guys come along and he said, ‘Mom, they treat me like I’m their brother. They just treat me like I’m a regular kid.’”
Larry texted Chase after he was drafted by the New England Patriots to congratulate him, and Larry and his family were given tickets to one of their games.
They wanted to surprise their special friend and player Chase at the game, but when they arrived, they were surprised and led down the field, where Larry met NFL legend Tom Brady.
Larry has been riding his recumbent bike for 5k to raise funds for palliative care at Mott Hospital. According to his GoFundMe page, palliative care has given kids like him a chance.
Larry is an inspiration to the players; he is the epitome of ‘no excuses,’ proving all doctors wrong and working so hard to do the things that many of us take for granted.
Michigan’s football program continues to have a huge impact on this brave boy’s life to this day. The Wolverines and Team IMPACT made sure to surprise Larry Prout Jr. with a sweet Christmas present in December 2021.
Some players unexpectedly broke the news to him via videoconference. Larry was awarded a trip to the Orange Bowl to watch his beloved Michigan Wolverines take on Georgia.
“I was really surprised,” Larry said. “I had no idea what they were gonna do. But it was pretty cool. I was really shocked and surprised.”
Unfortunately, the Wolverines lost the championship game, but Larry had an incredible trip and a moment he will never forget.
“It was amazing,” Prout told MLive and continued: “I had so much fun. Really nice place. The stadium (Hard Rock Stadium) was really cool and really loud.”