AS A YOUNG BOY. >> NOW HE’S USING HIS STORY TO
GIVE HOPE TO OTHERS BATTLING A
TOUGH DIAGNOSIS.
TOUGH DIAGNOSIS. >> ONE OF THE THINGS I TELL
PEOPLE IS THERE ARE TWO THINGS
WE ALL HAVE IN COMMON, WE’RE ALL
DIFFERENT AND WE CAN ALL MAKE A
DIFFERENCE.
DIFFERENCE. >> FOR ANDY LITMAN, IT’S AN
OPPORTUNITY HE’S NOT WASTING.
THAT’S BECAUSE ANDY WAS BORN
WITH CYSTIC FIBROSIS, A
HEREDITARY DISEASE WHICH CAUSES
THICK MUCUS TO CLOG THE AIRWAYS
IN HIS LUNGS.
AS A KID, ANDY LEARNED THAT THE
AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF A
PATIENT WITH THE DISEASE BACK
THEN WAS APPROXIMATELY 25 YEARS.
>> I WAS LIKE, 25, THAT’S GOING
TO BE THE END.
I WAS GOING TO WAKE UP AT MY
25th BIRTHDAY, THAT’S IT.
>> WHEN HE GOT TO COLLEGE IN
1991, ANDY STRUGGLED TO FIT IN.
>> I HAD TO CARRY AROUND THIS
70-POUND MACHINE THAT I HAD TO
BRING UP TO MY DORM ROOM THAT
FIRST DAY, AND I’LL JUST NEVER
FORGET, EVERYBODY LOOKING AT ME
AND LOOKING AT IT, AND WONDERING
WHAT THE HECK IT WAS AND WHO AM
I.
I. >> A YEAR LATER, HE FELL INTO A
DEPRESSION.
DEPRESSION. >> I WAS DONE, DONE WITH LIFE,
READY TO SAY GOOD-BYE.
>> BUT ONE DAY WHILE PLAYING
BASKETBALL WITH FRIENDS, ANDY
HAD A LIFE CHANGING MOMENT.
>> AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I
GOT KNOCKED OVER AND THE GUY WHO
PICKED ME UP ASKED ME IF I WAS
JOINING ANY WEIGHT LIFTING
CONTESTS ANYTIME SOON.
I KNEW AT THAT MOMENT, IT WAS
TIME TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, TIME
TO CHANGE.
TO CHANGE. >> IMMEDIATELY HE STARTED WEIGHT
LIFTING WHICH HE CREDITS FOR
PROPELLING HIM FORWARD.
>> I KNEW THAT IT WAS GOING TO
BE A LONG, LONG, LONG ROAD BUT I
WAS READY TO TAKE IT ON.
>> TODAY ANDY IS SHARING HIS
STORY, INSPIRING OTHERS AND
CONTINUING TO DEFY THE ODDS.
>> I HAVE A HEART THAT IS BEYOND
NUMBERS.
NUMBERS. I WORK MY BUTT OFF EVERY SINGLE
DAY, WHETHER I’M AT 25, 35, 45,
I CONTINUE TO BEAT IT, AND I
WILL BEAT IT.
>> AMEN, ANDY LITMAN JOINS US
NOW.
NOW. GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> SO FIRST THINGS FIRST, HOW
ARE YOU FEELING TODAY, AND TALK
ABOUT THE LENGTHS YOU GO TO TO
STAY HEALTHY.
STAY HEALTHY. WE SAW YOU LIFTING WEIGHTS AND
RUNNING, TALK ABOUT YOUR
JOURNEY.
JOURNEY. >> I’M DOING WELL, OTHER THAN
THE FACT THAT MY PARENTS AND
KIDS WERE LESS EXCITED TO SEE ME
ON THE "TODAY" SHOW THAN THEY
WERE THAT THEY MISSED MICHAEL
JORDAN, AND THERE WERE NO
MUPPETS AFTER ME.
>> CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL.
>> THANK YOU.
>> I DO THERAPY EVERY DAY, I DO
A VEST THAT WHAT IT DOES IS
LOOSENS THE MUCUS IN MY LUNGS, I
DO IT THREE TIMES A DAY FOR 45
MINUTES AT A TIME, AND THEN I
ALSO DO A NEBULIZER THAT’S A
MEDICATION AND I TAKE 40 TO 50
PILLS A DAY.
>> WOW.
>> WOW. >> AND IT’S A LOT.
AND I ALSO WORK OUT EVERY DAY,
AND I RUN EVERY DAY.
>> YOU TALK ABOUT KNOWING WHEN
YOU WERE COMING UP, LIFE
EXPECTANCY, ABOUT 25.
IT’S EXPANDED NOW.
HOW HAS RESEARCH AND TREATMENT
CHANGED TO EXTEND THAT TO NOW I
BELIEVE, WHAT, 46 YEARS OLD.
>> YEAH, IT’S GOTTEN QUITE A BIT
HIGHER.
HIGHER. THE MEDIUM LIFE EXPECTANCY IS
ABOUT 37 1/2, PEOPLE ARE LIVING
SO MUCH LONGER THESE DAYS, AND
ALL THIS RESEARCH HAS BROUGHT IN
BREAKTHROUGH DRUGS.
BREAKTHROUGH DRUGS. WE HAVE THREE BREAKTHROUGH DRUGS
THAT HAVE COME IN THE LAST FEW
YEARS AND THERE’S ANOTHER ONE,
THE FIRST WHICH WILL FIT MY
MUTATION THAT HELPS OUR LUNG
FUNCTION.
FUNCTION. IT’S REALLY AN EXCITING TIME.
>> YOU NEVER EXPECTED TO GROW UP
AND GET MARRIED.
AND YOU NEVER EXPECTED TO HAVE
KIDS, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THEN
WHAT HAPPENED.
WHAT HAPPENED. >> I GUESS I JUST, WHEN I WAS
PLAYING IN THAT BASKETBALL GAME,
I GOT KNOCKED DOWN, AND I
REALIZED THAT I HAD NEVER REALLY
PICKED MYSELF UP, AND YOU KNOW,
YOU CAN SAY THAT IN SO MANY
WAYS.
WAYS. I NEVER REALLY WORKED HARD, AND
I DECIDED I WAS GOING TO GO OUT
AND WORK HARD, AND I DID, AND I
HAVE BEEN RUNNING AND WORKING
OUT EVER SINCE.
I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE
GRAY HAIR AND I DO AS MY KIDS
POINT OUT TO ME EVERY SINGLE
DAY.
DAY. I HAVE A LOT OF GRAY HAIR, AND
I’M PROUD OF THAT.
>> HOW OLD ARE THE KIDS.
>> 13 AND 11.
>> YOU’RE ABOUT TO GET MORE GRAY
HAIR.
HAIR. >> EVERY DAY.
>> WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO SOMEONE
WATCHING WHO HAS JUST RECEIVED A
TOUGH DIAGNOSIS OR A FAMILY
MEMBER, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY
GIVE YOU A YEAR OR THEY SAY YOU
HAVE THIS MUCH TIME OR YOU’RE
EXPECTED TO LIVE THIS LONG, THIS
HAS TO BE TOUGH.
>> IT IS.
>> IT IS. EVERYBODY HAS THE TIME YOU HAVE
TO GO THROUGH THE DOWN MOMENTS,
I’M NOT GOING TO SAY BE HAPPY.
YOU GOT TO GET UP, YOU GOT TO
FIGHT.
FIGHT. THERE IS TIME, WHETHER IT’S ONE
DAY, ONE YEAR, FOREVER, IT’S
NEVER GOING TO BE ABSOLUTELY
FOREVER BUT WE ALL HAVE ONE
LIFE.
LIFE. THERE’S NO DRESS REHEARSALS.
GOT TO MAKE IT HAPPEN REGARDLESS
OF HOW MUCH TIME YOU HAVE.
>> YOU LOST A SISTER, WENDY TO
CYSTIC FIBROSIS, HOW ARE YOU
HONORING HER LEGACY.
>> I LOST A SISTER BEFORE I WAS
BORN.
BORN. WENDY LIVED 16 DAYS.
THERE’S ONE PICTURE TAKEN OF
HER, AND SHE NEVER MADE IT OUT
OF THE HOSPITAL.
I DIDN’T KNOW SHE HAD PASSED
UNTIL I WAS THE AGE OF 25 WHEN I
WAS WRITING MY FIRST BOOK, I
LEARNED ABOUT HER DIAGNOSIS AND
HOW SHE PASSED AND SO WE STARTED
AN EVENT CALLED WISH FOR WENDY,
AND STARTED THE WISH FOR WENDY
FOUNDATION, AND WE HAVE RAISED
OVER $4 MILLION FOR THE CYSTIC
FIBROSIS FOUNDATION, AND WE ARE
DOING ALL SORTS OF CF CHARITIES
IN HER MEMORY.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WE DO A LOT OF FOUNDATIONS AND
GALAS AND HEAR ABOUT THE
IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH DOLLARS,
SITTING NEXT TO YOU, IT HITS