By Carol Baass Sowa
Today's Catholic
SAN ANTONIO • When Michael Hennessey first told his wife, Janelle, his idea of participating in all 20 Ironman Triathlons in one year as a pro-life statement, she laughed. How could he be serious? All of them? At his age?
The couple was expecting their sixth child at the time and, while Michael had participated in past Ironmans in support of various worthy causes, he was no longer a “spring chicken,” as they say. And no one had ever been “crazy” enough to attempt to do them all (each packing the triple punch of long-distance races in swimming, biking and running) in a single year.
The Hennesseys are strongly pro-life, with Michael, originally from Kansas City, having helped start Greater Austin Right to Life (later known as Texas Alliance for Life) while a student at the University of Texas in Austin. Both had spent time discerning religious vocations. Michael was briefly at the seminary in Dallas and Janelle, a native San Antonian, had spent time in France at the mother house for the Third Order of St. John.
God had a plan for them though, they agree, as evidenced by their “chance” meeting at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, where Janelle was accompanying a young man she was dating to daily Mass. Her friend, who had previously been in the seminary with Michael, introduced the two and eventually returned to study for the priesthood, leaving the door open for Janelle and Michael to become better acquainted, fall in love and marry.
Married for 10 years, the Hennessey household now numbers six lively children: Kateri (9), Grace (8), Olivia (7), Audrey (4), Matthias (3) and Xavier (2). Number seven is due in July. The three oldest are home-schooled and the family attends daily Mass ? so faithfully that should something prevent them from going, the children notice and are concerned.
The in utero death of their daughter, Rachel, at 18 weeks in 2004, and being able to hold her and marvel at the perfection of her tiny body, reinforced their belief in the preciousness of life and they became increasingly frustrated at the general lack of respect for life they saw around them, leading to Michael’s unique Ironman proposal.
The more Janelle thought about his idea, the more she sensed the Holy Spirit at work. “If we’re ever going to do something like that, now’s the time,” she told Michael. They were still not sure what the focus of their Ironman project would be, knowing only they wanted it to promote life and the needs of children, perhaps special needs.
At the same time, their family was expanding, necessitating purchasing a larger vehicle and they were referred to a man whose car dealership happened to be known for assisting families with special needs children. He was not there the day they dropped by, however. The Hennesseys were told he was attending the funeral of his son, who had died of trisomy 18.
While they had heard of trisomy 21, better known as Down Syndrome, they were unfamiliar with trisomy 18 and Janelle decided to Google it. What they saw, said Michael, was “kind of like St. Paul’s conversion — you got knocked off your horse right in front of the computer!”
They learned that trisomy 13 and 18 are the two deadliest forms of this genetic disorder, causing the most developmental delays and physical ailments and leading to what amounts to an early “death sentence” for these children. Yet the Hennesseys discovered online that no matter how long they lived, whether minutes, days or months, their parents had cherished every moment, seeing their children as gifts from God. Some “living miracles” had made it to 10 or 12 years or older. The car dealer’s son had lived to the age of 19. “These people really get the value of human life,” thought Janelle.
But what horrified the Hennesseys was learning what typically happens when a sonogram reveals a child with trisomy. Sent for genetic counseling, the expectant parents are told, “Well, you can keep it, but it’s probably going to die anyway. You might as well just say goodbye early — just abort.”
Parents are also shown pictures of the rarest and most extreme cases, such as an undeveloped brain or acute physical deformity, Janelle notes, rather than the more common or “fixable” problems — a cleft palate or an extra digit. And she has found that when parents have a child with one of the more severe aspects of trisomy, they see past this to its inner beauty and worth.
She relates an estimated 70 percent of the parents who chose life for their trisomy child had to fight their doctors for this and to find someone who would deliver their baby in a hospital. In some cases, trisomy children have even been euthanized without the parents’ consent. Michael adds that 90 percent of children diagnosed with Down Syndrome, a more prevalent form of trisomy, are killed in the womb because of this diagnosis. “And a third of the time,” he says, “the diagnosis is wrong!”
The Hennesseys had found their cause. Michael’s 2008 Ironman marathon would race for trisomy awareness. It was “racing to give them a voice, to help them embrace life,” says Michael, noting his Ironman efforts were not about raising funds for a cure, but to show support of these special children and their parents’ heroic courage in choosing life.
He was humbled in his first Ironman for trisomy, in Malaysia, when he encountered health-endangering problems and had to drop out before finishing. “I can’t jeopardize my health with six kids and a beautiful wife at home and kill myself trying to break this world record,” he reasoned. The next week he was off to Ironman New Zealand and he went on to complete 15 Ironmans that year (wearing his signature cowboy hat) — a world record.
His travels around the world pursuing his goal proved to be a “Road to Emmaus,” as he encountered people where they were, his life touching theirs and theirs, his. The Hennesseys poured their life savings into financing Michael’s Ironman races and forming the 501(c)(3) not for profit Ironman for Kids Foundation, but were further aided by friends and strangers along the way, who provided donations, transportation and a place to stay at crucial times.
Michael also made friends with fellow participants. On one of their shuttle bus rides, he sat back and watched as a pro-life attorney heatedly debated with a pro-choice young woman who had been struggling with her faith and other issues. A firm believer himself in the words of St. Francis of Assisi: “Preach the Gospel at all times and sometimes use words,” Michael’s always joyful demeanor caught her attention and she kept in touch with the Hennesseys afterwards. She later returned to her faith because of their example and is now one of a dozen people around the country running races for Team Trisomy.
Other amazing things happened as well to enable Michael to finish competing throughout the year. In Germany, his expensive racing bike seat broke, with no money to replace it before the next race in Austria. Trusting in God, he headed off to it anyway, stopping on the way to see his godson, a former student from his teaching days in Monterrey, Mexico. The young man was now working on his PhD abroad and passed the hat to his fellow students, enabling Michael to purchase a new bike seat in time for the next marathon. “God opens windows, doors, brings you different people,” he muses.
He also met families of trisomy children, including one who offered him a place to stay while doing Ironman Wisconsin. Their youngest child, Zoe, nearly two years old, had trisomy 18 and Michael was touched seeing the loving care she received from her three teenage siblings.
These days Michael and Janelle are active in organizing athletic endeavors in support of life and inspiring others across the country to do likewise for Team Trisomy. One such event is their Spin to Life, in which participants ride spin bikes to raise funds for purchasing bicycles adapted for special needs children, enabling them to feel more normal and get out into the community. Their most recent Spin to Life took place Jan. 30.
A previous one enabled them to purchase a tandem bicycle for a mother and her daughter, Natalia, who has trisomy 13. Originally told she would never live to leave the hospital, let alone walk, Natalia is now 10 years old and walking. There is reason to believe that this year she will talk.
The spin-a-thons also bring awareness — and not just to the general public. A woman who helped with a Spin to Life and saw Natalia there was later dining with a pediatrician acquaintance when the subject of trisomy came up. “Oh, well those kids die,” the pediatrician said dismissively. “No they don’t!” the woman emphatically informed him. “They don’t all die!”
That’s what the Hennesseys and Team Trisomy are racing for.
QuickINFO
For more information on the Iron Man for Kids Foundation, visit www.ironmanforkids.comor call (210) 792-3602. Informative sites on trisomy: www.livingwithtrisomy13.organd www.hopefortrisomy13and18.org.