Teen with Cerebral Palsy Makes Eagle Scout

Despite his cerebral palsy, Andrew Bowen, now 17, always aspired to be an Eagle Scout – the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouts of America. The high school senior got his wish this month.

“For me, it's something I worked at for 10 years, and finally getting to the point of being able to say ‘I did it,'” said Bowen.

Andrew's mother, Darcy Bowen, said Andrew has always had a can-do attitude. “When he first found out the highest Scout is Eagle, he said, ‘All right, that's what I want,'” she said. “We were just like, ‘Get out of his way!'”

Andrew said his cerebral palsy never slowed him. “I accomplished Eagle Scout like anyone else did,” he said.

The Path

David Burkhead, the committee chairman for Andrew's troop said Eagle Scout training is really leadership training.

No one cut Andrew any slack because of his cerebral palsy, said Burkhead. Andrew wouldn't have let them if they tried, he added. “The troop coped with it, Andy copes with it, it was a non-issue,” Burkhead said. “There is a physical aspect to a lot of scouting. He pushed through that stuff.”

For any Boy Scout to reach Eagle status, he must obtain a series of badges, and complete a series of tasks, such as organize a project to serve the community. Bowen led his Boy Scout troop in collecting hundreds of scarves, gloves, and hats for distribution at the Jackson Interfaith Shelter.

Andrew did suffer at least one setback: he never got his rifle badge. But he persevered and succeeded where many others wouldn't.

Only two to three percent of Boy Scouts make Eagle Scout, said Cathy Arehart, Andrew's Eagle advisor.

Eagle Scouts are also required to earn a swimming badge, which was not easy for someone with limited mobility on one side of his body. Burkhead said they would have let him slide on that one, but Andrew wouldn't have it. He earned the badge anyway.

“It's a sense of a challenge. I wasn't that good of a swimmer,” Andrew said. “It's also a sense of accomplishment. Not many people with CP get to Eagle.”

Andrew said because of his cerebral palsy symptoms, people always underestimated him when he was growing up. “Then they get to know me and I end up proving them wrong,” he said.

If your child suffers from cerebral palsy, contact a cerebral palsy attorney who can evaluate your case and help determine if a birth injury was the possible cause of this condition.