OPRAH WINFREY: Tina and Mike were anxiously
expecting their first child.
But just minutes after their son Cody was born,
they were blindsided.
MIKE: The doctors got very quiet.
The nurses got very quiet.
I did notice that his legs looked different.
They didn't straighten out.
Then one of the big things I noticed was he
was missing his big toe on his right foot.
I met with a doctor there, and she basically
told me, say goodbye to your son,
that he's not going to make it through the day.
He's got an incurable disease, and that's it.
OPRAH WINFREY: Miraculously, Cody survived, but he still
had a difficult journey ahead.
TINA: When he was 15 months old, he actually
had both of his legs amputated.
He was fitted with his first prosthesis
when he was 18 months old.
They did not think that he was going
to walk in his first prosthetics right away.
And on his second day, I think, or first day of therapy,
he started walking.
TINA (ON VIDEO): Come on.
OPRAH WINFREY: But Cody didn't stop there.
MIKE: Cody has really done everything
that they said he wouldn't do.
He wasn't supposed to be able to walk.
Well, he walks.
He runs.
He wasn't supposed to be able to talk.
He only has one vocal chord.
He just goes on forever.
CODY: These are my running legs, and I run very fast.
And I bounce in them.
Since I have different legs, I can do anything.
OPRAH WINFREY: And that's not all Cody can do.
I'm on the swim team.
I love to do the 50 meters freestyle.
Michael Phelps, I'm coming.
I'm gonna race ya.
TINA (ON VIDEO): All right.
Michael Phelps, he's coming.
Come on out, Cody.
[APPLAUSE]
Yeah!
[CHEERING]
Hi.
Nice to see you.
Boy, have I heard great things about you.
Nice to see you.
Hi.
Welcome.
Welcome to the show.
Boy.
Boy, I can tell you're a fun guy.
So what do you like the most, running or swimming?
-Running. -Running.
And I hear you love to bounce in these legs,
too, because they bounce.
Yes.
Yeah, let me see.
[APPLAUSE]
OPRAH WINFREY: They're shock absorbers.
So what do you want people to know about you, Cody?
What you want people to--
That I'm special.
That you're special.
OPRAH WINFREY: It's been almost eight years since that show.
We checked in with the 14-year-old Cody
to find out how he's doing today.
Hi, Oprah.
This is Cody.
I'm in my house in Texas.
I'm really excited to give you guys an update on what
I've been doing.
I have been swimming a lot lately,
and right now I'm training for the 2016 paralympic trials.
I've been training five days a week.
I like just the feel of the water
and how it feels like I'm just gliding right over it
when I swim.
I met Michael Phelps in 2012 at the Olympic training
center in Colorado Springs.
He invited me to one of his practices,
and then he came to one of my races at the meet.
It was really cool to see Michael Phelps at my swim meet.
He told me to keep working hard.
I have had probably around 26 or 27 surgeries.
When I grow up, I want to be an anesthesiologist,
and that's the field I would like
to go into since I want to be working at the hospital
in the operating room.
I want to help people feel better.
Thanks for having me on the show.
See you guys soon.
Bye.