NAP- Neighborhood Alliance of Pawtucket

Rising Above

Oct 22, 2004

Luiz Silva has always wanted to be an athlete. He tried out for the Calcutt Middle School team four years ago, but alas, was cut. He was back out there for high school tryouts, going through lay-up lines with the rest of the team, but again, wasn?’t able to make the roster.

He was 15 years old and despite an obsessive love of sports, especially football and basketball, Silva wasn?’t able to do what he loves most: to compete.


While a lack of jump shot may have played a part in Silva being cut, it?’s safe to say another factor played a role in the decision to cut him.

Luiz Silva was born paralyzed from the waist down. He has never walked and can?’t even stand up under his own power. He can wiggle his knees a little bit, but that?’s about it.

And while he dreams of someday walking, being able to run down a basketball court, he doesn?’t waste time feeling sorry for himself.

"I?’ve always been a pretty happy kid," Silva said. "Sometimes, I close my eyes and think about walking or playing basketball. Some people, though, think I have it bad but I knew that there are people who are worse off and I thank God for what I have."

Two years ago, Silva?’s physical therapist told him about Rhode Island?’s ?‘Wheels - Heels?’ team. The program and others similar, like the New England Wheelchair Athletic Association and National Junior Disabled Sports, prepare individuals with physical disabilities to participate in recreational and sports activities.

And after just a few months of practicing once a week, Silva ventured to Canton, Mass., for his first competition, the New England Wheelchair Athletic Association Track and Field Regional Championships. Despite being the youngest member of the team, by about 10 years, and athletes from all six New England states competing, Silva captured two gold and five silver medals. At the end of year banquet, Silva was awarded the team?’s Rookie of the Year.

This past June, Silva was simply dominating, winning five gold medals, including the shot put, discus, softball throw, javelin and 100 meters, and four silver medals.

A month later, from July 11 to 17th, Silva and his parents traveled to Mesa, Ariz., for the National Junior Disabled Sports Championships. When his high school classmates found out Silva needed money for the trip, a dance was organized within days to help raise enough money for expenses.

Silva, now 16 years old, took a pair of silver medals in Mesa, in the discus and shot put. He also placed in the top seven in four other events.

"I had never done any of those events before starting and it took some time getting use to at first," Silva said. "The 100 meters and the distance events are more difficult than the throwing events for me. But it was just fun competing with people like me. I had never done that."

Silva?’s father, Gus, a Central Falls City Councilman, offers a unique perspective on the family?’s week in Mesa.

"It was such a great experience for him because we, his mother and I, were the minority walking around the hotel and the events," Gus Silva said. "Luiz got to hang out with others like him, kids from all around the world. The hotel we stayed at was like Wheelchair City. We felt out of place. Luiz is just one of two kids in a wheelchair at Central Falls, so he never experienced being in the majority."

The Silvas, who have three other children, none of which have any health problems, found out that Luiz, their second born, was going to be paralyzed five months into the pregnancy. A cat scan revealed Luiz?’s spine had closed around the nerves and that he would be born with spinabifida.

Gus Silva later learned that about one in ten children are born with spina bifida, but that lower level cases are barely detectable. Luiz has a mid-range case, while high-level instances include being paralyzed from the neck down.

Luiz Silva has always been active, refusing transportation to school and even in the rain and snow, wheeling himself almost half a mile to and from Central Falls High School. He takes regular classes, with a personal teacher assistant, Esther Paul, assigned to help him around. He enjoys computers and hopes to get into web design after college. Paul says that Silva rarely misses a day of school, either.

"Luis is always happy, when it should be the opposite," said Bob Marchant, one of Silva?’s teachers, who also helps him train. "The teachers here, the students, all of us really admire him. He?’s as competitive as anyone too, he races me, while I?’m driving my car, down the hill to school each morning. Usually beats me, to."

Silva hopes to get his license soon, too, and will be able to drive by using gadgets on the steering wheel. He also wants to play wheelchair basketball, but the closest league is in Canton and transportation isn?’t available. He does bowl every Saturday, holding down a 95-average.

"We?’ve always pushed him, knowing that we, his parents, aren?’t going to be here forever," Gus Silva said. "We wanted him to be independent, be able to live on his own. The doctors said he can have children and we hope he has a family of his own someday."

"When he didn?’t make the basketball team, he came home upset. I asked him how many kids tried out and he said about 75. He said about 50 were cut and I said, "You?’re no different than the others who were cut." He doesn?’t feel sorry for himself. We try driving him to school in the snow, but he won?’t allow it. He wants to be like the other kids. Nothing bothers him, either."

You know, though, Luiz has been through a lot. He?’s had 18 surgeries and if he takes his shirt off, it looks like a road map. The kid?’s a trooper and we can all learn something from him."

Indeed.



?©The Pawtucket Times 2004