Youth grows on a string and a prayer

Great blessings often follow great challenges, as Jeff and Mary Lietz, members of St. Bernadette Parish in Appleton can testify.

To a casual observer, the Lietzes appear an all-American family: mom, dad, two kids, a dog, two cats. Jeff is product coordinator at Pierce Manufacturing. Mary works as an X-ray technician at Theda Clark Hospital, Neenah. Their son, Tad, 14, is an eighth-grader at James Madison Middle School, and 9-year-old son Michael attends Johnston Elementary. Their kitchen calendar reflects a busy family life filled with music lessons, church and school activities and sports events.

But life wasn't always this way, and the calendar shows that as well. Musical performances and competitions show up beside trips to Shriners Children's Hospital in Chicago.

It all began when, after a 15-year struggle with infertility, Jeff and Mary adopted Tad, a special-needs three-year-old from Vietnam. They still shake their heads at how life changed since Tad, and later Michael -- from South Korea -- joined their family.

"For these boys to come two-thirds of the way around the world into our home, the hand of God has to be in it," Mary said.

But the journey hasn't been easy. When Tad arrived at Milwaukee's Mitchell Airport from an orphanage in Ho Chi Minh City, he weighed only 16 pounds, suffered from parasites, and was missing his left arm, possibly caused by effects of the defoliant Agent Orange used during the Vietnam War.

"There were so many things we didn't know at the time," Mary said. "We knew that Tad had only one arm, but it turned out that he was so weak from malnutrition, he couldn't even crawl, let alone walk. His eardrums had ruptured, and since then he's had five surgeries on his ears. His eyes also needed surgery, plus he had a chronic liver disease."

Those first weeks were rough for everyone. Tad cried all night and beat himself with his tiny fists. He would only sleep curled up in Mary's arms on the sofa.

When the Lietzes discovered their insurance didn't cover many of Tad's medical expenses, they were grateful to learn about Shriners Hospital. The Chicago facility is one of 22 Shriners pediatric hospitals in the U.S. that help children who have orthopedic problems, burns and spinal cord injuries. All medical services are provided free.

Tad's family made regular trips to Shriners Hospital so Tad could receive care and be fitted for prostheses. These visits have also offered Tad an opportunity to connect with other children with similar disabilities.

In 1994, Jeff joined the Shriners. "When I saw the wonderful things they did," he said, "I wanted to be part of it."

From the beginning, Tad proved to be a fighter. Watching him, one notices that he seems unhindered by his glasses, hearing aids, and a prosthetic arm (that he uses only sometimes).

Music became one of Tad's passions early on.

"As a family, we were never very musical," Mary said. "But Tad changed all that. Right away, we knew he loved music. Because he couldn't hear very well, he always wanted to sit in front when we went to church. He would rock and sway to the music. In fact, his first words in English were 'church music.' Then after Mass he would toddle up to the organist and get her to play 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' -- every week!"

Tad began making music of his own in fourth grade, after a teacher at school brought in musical instruments for the children to try. Tad was drawn to the cello, although no one knew how he could play it without two arms.

Jeff, trained as a design engineer, was accustomed to adapting equipment for Tad. After several attempts at fashioning a special shoe, he finally asked Tad to try holding the bow between his toes. Soon Tad was making music, fingering strings with his right hand and drawing the bow with his left foot.

His talent has taken him farther than his parents could have dreamed. His bedroom bulletin board is filled with ribbons and awards he has won.

"He likes to play for people," Mary said. "He's been invited to play at senior citizen centers, the Salvation Army, the Boys and Girls Club, and many other places. We think it's important for him to share his musical talent."

Tad believes that "a person who doesn't use the two hands he has is more handicapped than someone with only one hand who does something with it."

Recently, he played his cello for the Confirmation Mass at St. Bernadette.

"The Leitzes are an amazing family," said Shirley Riley, religious education coordinator. "Tad is in our junior high program, and he's happy to play his cello anytime he's asked. Michael is in our religious ed program. He's adorable and makes me want to hug him every time I see him. They're a normal family with a son with an extraordinary musical gift. The parents deserve a lot of credit for keeping Tad levelheaded in spite of all the attention he gets."

That attention ranges from appearing on CBS's The Early Show to being Shriners' "Patient Success Story" in the orthopedic category for all the Shriners hospitals. Two years ago, Tad performed a cello solo before an audience of 4,000 at the Shriners' National Convention in Boston.

"While we were there," Mary said, "Tad asked if he could play for the children in the Burns Hospital, a center for children from around the world who were severely burned. After his performance, he offered to let the children take turns playing his cello. Several of them responded, but one little boy approached Tad several times, then kept turning back. As I watched him, I saw that he had no feet. Finally, he did play. It was the hand of God at work. I saw God's perfection in those children, not in how they look, but in how they change other people. If Tad can help turn someone's life around, it's all worth it."

Ready for new challenges, Tad is now learning the tuba. His younger brother, Michael, also plays two instruments -- piano and violin. The boys take music lessons from Olive Bopp and at Lawrence University.

"They're both talented boys," said Bopp, "though they're completely different from each other. I think it's hard sometimes for Michael, because Tad gets so much attention. But their parents are really good about that, and they give Michael what he needs, too."

Michael was also adopted from a special-needs foreign-adoption program. "But when he came to us, he was four months old and perfectly healthy," his mother said.

Both boys also play soccer.

"I was never really close to children before our kids came along," said Jeff, "but it's been great to see God at work in Tad's life. Now I love working with kids -- they have so much love to give!"

Jeff has come to enjoy children so much, he has even started teaching catechism classes at church.

"Wonderful things happen when you're finally ready to accept what God has planned for you, instead of following your own plans," Mary said. "This was our purpose to fulfill. My grandmother used to say that God writes straight with crooked lines."

Tad has some words of wisdom of his own: "You only have one life, so make it useful, make it count."

"It's miraculous that Tad has done so well," Mary said. "A long time ago, I made a promise to St. Jude that I'd name my son after him. That's how Tad got his name, after St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of impossible things."

The Lietzes rely on the God of the impossible.