Defying death multiple times sent Michael Kutcher on a life path like no other.
Michael Kutcher was born on February 7th, 1978, along with his twin brother Christopher Ashton Kutcher.
Michael was born weighing only four pounds, with undeveloped lungs and breathing difficulties.
At the time, his birth came as a shock to his parents, Larry and Diane Kutcher, who
were only expecting one child, as reported by Today.
After weeks of extensive medical care, he was able to begin life outside of medical supervision.
Michael explained in Today's Parents column,
"My mom noticed I was having developmental difficulties and not advancing like my twin
was, so she began taking me to doctors."
After several doctors visits and journeying to find answers, he received his cerebral
palsy diagnosis not long before he started kindergarten.
Cerebral palsy affected Michael's ability to see, walk, and talk growing up, but it
didn't stop him from leading the life he wanted.
When he was 13 years old, however, a cardiologist diagnosed him with heart failure, with less
than a month to live before he would experience a fatal cardiac arrest episode, the Twin Cities
Pioneer Press reported.
Just three weeks after his initial diagnosis, Michael's heart stopped.
At the time, his parents agreed to use a pump on him to prolong his life for a couple of
days, and miraculously, he received a heart transplant shortly after, per his website.
Even with that, doctors predicted he would only live another seven years, but Michael
is alive to this day.
Today, Michael Kutcher has a career away from the spotlight and outside of the public eye,
after graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management and Finance, becoming
Transamerica's Strategic Business Planning Manager as of 2021.
He also works as an advisor for a service called Joshin that aids in connecting individuals
with disabilities to experienced caregivers and providers, and as a spokesperson for the
Cerebral Palsy Foundation.
He also formerly worked on the executive board of Reaching for the Stars, A Foundation of
Hope for Children with Cerebral Palsy.
In these roles, he's brought his story to some of the most important leaders in the
country, including the CDC, the National Institute of Health, the American Academy for Cerebral
Palsy and Developmental Medicine, and even Capitol Hill.
In 2010, he lobbied Congress to bring attention to the lack of funding for cerebral palsy
research in hopes of helping those living with the disability, telling The Hill,
"There are more than 800,000 people with cerebral palsy in the U.S. today — one in 278 children
[is] affected by cerebral palsy — and there's no line item in CDC funding at all."
Before this, however, in 2003, Michael's diagnosis became unexpectedly public during a TV interview
with Ashton, which caused a brief rift between him and his brother.
Touching on that experience, Michael told Today,
"I was very angry.
[…] I didn't want to be the face of CP.
I never talked about it."
Rather than stay mad at his brother, Michael further explained that by sharing his story
on such a big level, Ashton allowed him to fully embrace who he was, rather than hide
his disability.
Today, Michael is a happily married man and father.
His first and only son was born around 2005, and since welcoming a child into the world,
Kutcher has been dedicated to being a dad to both his biological child and his two stepchildren.
He no longer lives in Iowa, but calls Colorado his home now, as revealed in a 2019 interview
with Us Weekly.
Michael Kutcher's story is equally as memorable as it is inspiring.
While he frequently shares his life journey in public speeches and interviews, he was
also driven to begin writing his memoir, "My Yellow Brick Road," during the COVID-19 pandemic,
according to Forbes.
The memoir is set to explore his life and how he used his disability to be a voice to help others.
Michael told the publication,
"My aim is for people reading to say, 'Here's a guy who has been given a lot of obstacles
that most people can't even fathom, and he's still standing tall, he's still optimistic,
and he's portraying a positive image about overcoming challenges while enjoying life.'"
Outside of telling people his story, the book is also meant to shift the reader's perspective
on life and more importantly, motivate people to appreciate life a little bit more.
If anyone is inspired by Kutcher's perseverance through life's greatest challenges, it's his
brother, Ashton.
The actor spoke highly of his brother to Today in 2021, saying,
"My brother's daily actions remind me that life isn't about running around challenges
— it's about running through them.
Mike has a relentless work ethic and a deep compassion for others."