Larry was interviewed at Mott Hospital regarding his non-profit. Here is the article as it appeared in the OPE Mott Newsletter, written by Melissa Cunningham, Office of Patient Experience Thank you Melissa!
OPE Advisor Gives Helping Hand To Mott Families
Community means everything to Larry Prout Jr., who has endured over 100 surgeries due to spina bifida, cloacal extropy, massive omphalocele as well as other complex medical diagnoses. The Prout family credits the support from their family, friends, non-profits, and community for helping them get through many challenges. Now, Larry is working to give hope and courage to other families who have children facing life-threatening conditions through his new non-profit, the Larry Prout Jr. Courage Fund.
The youngest of six children, Larry was born in 2001 and lives with his parents, Kathy and Larry Sr., in Howell. “It was really a struggle when Larry was little,” said Kathy. “We never left him – one of us was always at Mott. With five other kids at home, we were constantly driving to and from Mott. Now we are able to help others and if Larry’s non-profit can take some stress off Mott families so they can focus on their child, that’s our main goal.” “My family and I needed a lot of help when I was born,” said Larry. “The electricity and gas were turned off at one point after I was born. Friends and strangers stepped up to help us.”
Larry’s non-profit, founded in June, 2022, will assist Mott families with gas, food, utilities, clothes, and many other basic necessities that become hardships when family is facing a medical crisis of a loved one. Larry has held a Facebook birthday fundraiser and a huge garage sale. His non-profit has received grants from the Stein Family Foundation, Wolverine alumni and staff, Cleveland Brown NFL receiver and former Wolverine, Donovan Peoples-Jones and DPJ's Limitless Foundation. This summer, he is planning a FunFest and a 5K August 5 at Pinckney Community Navigator/Pathfinder schools complex, held in partnership with Arc Livingston. In under 10 months, Larry has raised $40,000 and helped 13 families.
Larry became an OPE Advisor in 2016 and his primary role volunteering with Michigan Medicine has been serving on the Mott Teen Advisory Committee for the past seven years. He has also served with the HOPE Ambassador Program, COVID Clinic, COVID Button Project, LIFE (Longitudinal Interprofessional Family-based Experience) team and as a guest speaker at Michigan Medicine events. Thanks to a non-profit called Team IMACT, Larry is also an honorary member of the Michigan Football Team.
“I’ve been helped over the years and that’s the inspiration for this non-profit. I get to help kids who have life-threatening illnesses,” Larry said. “It’s all about giving back. It’s pretty cool!”
To learn more about the Larry Prout Jr. Courage Fund, please www.larryproutcouragefund.org
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