Six-Year-Old Boy With Rare Spinal Disorder Defies Odds And Becomes a Sports Achiever

A mum who has a son with a rare spinal disorder has shared how her son defied the odds as he is now a sports-mad boy who can do 300 push-ups in 15 minutes at just the age of six!

Mum, Abbi Brass, 32, from Canberra, was heartbroken after learning that her son, Josh was born prematurely at 35 weeks, lacking several vertebrae, no kneecaps, no tailbone, with just one kidney as well as a hole in his heart and with hip dysplasia, making him unable to walk.

This rare spinal disorder has caused Ms Brass to keep Josh in the house away from other people outside for fear of what they would say about her son.

However, after overcoming the odds, Ms Brass got over her fear and is now so proud of the now six-year-old Josh that she wants the world to see his incredible athletic skills that have wowed the doctors.

Despite his condition, Ms Brass said that Josh has strong upper body strength. She said that Josh can do 300 push-ups in 15 minutes, or bench press his own body weight.

“His upper body strength is incredible. He can do 300 push-ups in 15 minutes – I can’t even do three. He has competed in a dozen five kilometre races and plays everything from golf to basketball,” she said.

Because of this, she introduced Josh to Wheelchair Motocross (WCMX) and gymnastics and decided to let him join his first Spartan race, but didn’t tell anyone he has a disability. “We registered him and didn’t tell anyone he was disabled, so when we showed up people were looking at him and wondering what he was doing there…He doesn’t get phased when people look at him differently,” she said.

Ms Brass and her partner, Morgan Brass, like to keep Josh on various challenges. His latest one is to do 22 push-ups every day for 22 consecutive days with a goal of raising awareness for PTSD, anxiety, depression and suicide.

Ms Brass also lets Josh participate in activities other than sports such as drama, singing, going to the golf course with his dad and raising awareness of people with disabilities through support groups like yooocan.

This month, Josh is also going to do at a public speaking event at a disability centre. “He’s going to talk about himself and why he isn’t different to any other kid,” Ms Brass said.

However, since Ms Brass and her partner are New Zealanders and are only holding a permanent residency for tax purposes in Australia, Josh receives limited governmental support. “The physiotherapists didn’t want Josh in a wheelchair until he was six years old. If they had it their way he’d still be in a pram…But because he’s been in a chair since he was three he’s so good. These kids need freedom just like able-bodied kids and I wish the parents would get rid of the bubble wrap,” Ms Brass said.