Actor Ashton Kutcher wanted to give his own heart to his twin brother Michael when he needed a transplant at the age of 13.
Michael, who has cerebral palsy, a permanent movement disorder, eventually got a heart from a suitable donor, but his brother’s gesture touched him.
“It’s just... I can’t find the words. It’s a connection that you can’t explain. In all seriousness, we’re just very connected... It’s an honour or deep appreciation and a deep love for someone who would sacrifice that for you. I really can’t put words to it,” Michael said.
Ashton had previously said that Michael taught him people are not all created equally. But Michael insists he doesn’t want people to “feel sorry” for him, because he doesn’t think he got “the wrong end of the stick” by being born differently.
“I think his quote of [how] everyone’s not created equally, I think that goes back to him feeling sorry for me at a point. He’s right. We aren’t created equally, whether it be a disability or a health issue or whether it be anything, ethnicity, sex. We’re just not created equally. If we were, what’s cool about that?” he said.
“I don’t really like to use the word disability, I like to use the word giftability because we’re all created different. We all have disabilities. I think his quote is right on. We’re not born equal, but that’s okay. It’s okay. You may think I got the wrong end of the stick, but having the transplant and the disability and everything, but in my eyes, I got the right end,” Michael said.
