Teddy Scott, 1984-2012

Well written, though.

Sorry for your loss, Brian.  Beautifully written and thoughtful piece.

Oh.

I'm sorry for your loss, Brian.

On a related note, small world. He played hockey at the cube on Miller Lite? Was it their D3 team? (I don't think they have a team in a different league as it is but still...)

I've probably played against him and not even realized it. From the sounds of it, he was one of the few people that could catch up to me after getting a step on them.

I was fortunate enough to be a casual acquaintance of Teddy's and that was enough for me to admire his outlook on life and general attitude about everything. He will be missed.

Sorry for your loss, Biff.

I played softball with him during a couple summers. I can definitely attest to his speed and he was probably the best player on the team as well. I had no idea that he was affected by this and this saddens me as he was a great person to be around. Though I did not know him as personally as others, I appreciate the piece and that you took the time to write it, Brian. RIP Teddy.

So sad. Sorry about your friend, Brian. Condolences.

I've lost a couple friends way too early in life. I know we'll all be reunited one day, but it continues to sting 15 and 8 years later.

Not only is Teddy up there with them, having a good time, but he's finally able to skate again at top speed.

Keep the faith, my friend

Teddy (and his family) should be proud that he lived a life that impacted you (and others, I imagine) so profoundly. Sorry for your loss.

I am sorry for your loss Brian. I lost a very good friend of mine our junior year of high school. He had heart issues and suddenly his heart gave out a few days before the end of the school year.

It's tough to this day, because he was going to re-join the football team the following fall and we were going to be offensive line mates, side-by-side at guard and tackle. 

Keep your head up Brian and remember him for the memories you have.

RIP Teddy

Very sad story!

I am friends with his brother and was lucky enough to meet Teddy a few times.  It only took about 2 minutes with him to discover what a genuinely good person he was.  He fought his illness with such strength and bravery that it was an inspiration.  The Scott Family and the Michigan Community lost a great one and he will be missed.

I knew him, although I hadn't seen him since college, but I remember him being witty, funny and all around good guy.  Really sad for you and Dave for your loss.   Not exactly what I was expecting when logging on to MGo, but well written, sir.

RIP.

"65 roses" is a bitch.

For those of you who want to learn more or donate to help find a cure:

http://www.cff.org/aboutCFFoundation/About65Roses/

http://www.cff.org/GetInvolved/ManyWaysToGive/

But for some reason I didn't get choked up till I watched the South Park vid, and pictured/related it to Brian's storytelling.

What was once funny seems very, very sad now.  Sorry for your loss.

We went to high school together, and I had no idea he had passed away until I was eating lunch and catching up on MGoBlog. I barely knew him but from all accounts he was an awesome kid and a great hockey player. I'm sorry for your loss, and for his family's loss. Thank you for this piece- it's a great tribute to a good kid.

You're a great friend.

I knew Teddy.  I went to high school with him, shared the same group of friends, played on the same baseball team, played on the East Lansing Trojan's varsity hockey team, and shared countless Michigan memories with him.

He was my first friend at MacDonald Middle School in the 6th grade.  We met in Mrs. Merritt's class on the first day of school.  Despite his small stature, he was incredibly outgoing and and made that first terrifying day of school easier.  We quickly developed a bond through Michigan sports, and If ever there was an embodiment of a "Michigan Man" that is so discussed on Michigan message boards, it is Teddy. 

I hadn't spoken to Teddy in a few years.  The news of his passing was shocking and heart breaking.  He had a great family, all of whom shared his love for Michigan, and my thoughts go out to them for their loss.

RIP Teddy, you will be missed.

has come a long way in the past 30 years. it used to be that 16 was a long life, now that is pushed all the way to 40. there is a generation of CF kids who live right on that line though and its tough to hear their passing. he fought a good fight, RIP.

Brian,

Thanks for posting your story about Teddy. But I need to defend your comment about ladylungs. You met Teddy after his double lung transplant so you have no idea what he went through before then, or what we all went through as his close friends right by his side.

We all met Teddy the first day of our freshman year of college - we all lived on the same floor in the East Quad dorm. We spent time together nearly evey day. We went to hockey games, studied, ate together, even played cards while he was using his therapy vest. We obviously knew he had cystic fibrosis but he kept up with all of us. We walked to the Big House to watch home football games together, he schooled us in broomball, we played touch football, soccer and frisbee to pass the time after class, and we played about a dozen IM sports together. He surprised us with team tee shirts one day, which united our little family. He was the most genuine, upbeat, kind person I'd met.

And yeah he had that "no." He knew his limits and we all respected him for that. But he seemed as healthy as the rest of us most times. And then things started to change. In our sophomore and junior years his limits quickly deteriorated along with his lungs. Eventually he couldn't play sports with us. And then he couldn't walk as far, so his "maniac extrovert" brother, the best brother Teddy could ever ask for, who took care of Teddy and would do anything for Teddy, drove him to class and to the Big House so he could watch football games with us. But it kept getting harder and harder for Teddy to breathe. He was so frail and weak. Someone we loved, our close friend, was dying before our eyes.

Then, thanks to the death of a lady, Teddy was given a new set of lungs. I remember visiting him in the hospital. We played with his heart monitor to see who had the lowest heart rate, and he thought that was funny, especially since he won. He was always so competetive. We joked and smiled constantly. Our friend was alive.

He eventually got strong enough to come back to school and started eventually playing sports with us again too. He was the same Teddy, always cheerful and ready to tackle the world. Barely 20 years old, we were faced with death, with losing a part of our silly little family. We didn't know how to deal with it so the nickname ladylungs was born, not to make fun of Teddy, but as a way to say "I love you," our affectionate way of showing how scared we were of losing one of our best friends and how thankful we were that he was healthy again but not knowing how to say it. As immature 20 year olds we were just glad to have him back. Calling him ladylungs was our way of saying dude, we love you and we thank god every day for giving you these new lungs so we can continue getting to be a part of your life.

Teddy was fortunate enough to live a few years longer than he would have without his ladylungs and we are all so thankful he had more time on this earth. And I am glad you were able to get to know Teddy as well. Everyone who was lucky enough to meet him understands this tragic loss. My thoughts go out to Teddy's parents, Teddy's fiancee, Gordon, and the rest of his family and friends, no matter how deep or how long they knew Teddy. He is truly unforgettable.

I met Teddy at Yost back when I had my student tickets. He and his crew were drawn to me because I was the only other guy as obnoxiously loud as their burly friend Dave. That was 2004, I believe. Since then I had probably seen him about every 6 months or so, on or off. Reading Brian's story kind of made me laugh because he described him as a the kind of dick you are to your friends. Clearly he was not as comfortable with me --he was never anything but kind. The last time I saw him was at the Joe during our double OT win against BG this past spring. His girl had to go to work and couldn't stay for the overtime, so he hunted me down (probably by my voice) and asked if I could give him a ride back to Ann Arbor. I was headed that way anyhow, so of course I agreed. I remember thinking at the time that I just loved his dedication; he would rather tell her, "no just go to work, I'll find a ride" for the chance to watch Michigan win, than take the easy way out and just listen in the car. I know he would've done the exact same for me. I'm sorry you never got the chance to repay the favor, Teddy. I really wish you were still around -- I'm sure most of us who knew you feel exactly the same way. You will be remembered as lively and kind; which is especially impressive when someone was dealt the hand that you were. You will be sorely missed. Rest in peace, friend.

Very sorry to hear that. I lost two siblings (well, my parents did anyway, since I was too young to remember them) and a cousin to cystic fibrosis so my family knows first hand how horrible of a disease it is. Thoughts and prayers for Teddy and his family and friends. 

My condolences. Thanks for sharing the story for those of us who did not know

I think you've remembered him beautifully here.

excellent writing, and I'm sorry for all of his friends who are posting here as well. thanks for sharing your stories.

I love this tribute to your friend, especially the part about him being a dick on the ice. Only a friend could call someone a dick and mean it as a compliment. 

Also, several readers have commented on the excellence of your writing. One of the main reasons I have read this blog for years is the quality of your writing. This piece is especially good because you clearly are writing from the heart.

Sorry again for your loss. Sounds like Teddy was a great guy to hang out with.

I joined specifically to respond to this topic.  I am truly sorry for your loss.  Full disclosure, I am a Spartan.  More importantly, I have a son with CF.  It's a horrible disease.  As someone mentioned above the CF community is making advances every day.  Hopefully my son and many others will live longer and more 'normal' lives. 

I wanted to point out that the CF center at U of M is amazing.  Our Doctors are second to none and the entire staff is wonderful.  Kudos to U of M and the Mott facility.  I know my son is in good hands.

A good friend of mine had a son about 5 years ago who barely made it home from birth, and they shortly found out that he had been diagnosed with CF. He got well and has been a normal youngster since, aside from the treatments and enzyme pills, etc.

The couple decided to have a second child, and the odds of having a second with CF were something like 1 and 4...their daughter was also diagnosed with CF, but they have accepted and embraced the challeges that come with the condition.

They said it best when they realized that "God blessed us with these two amazing children because he knew how strong and loving we are, and that we can make a difference." They have. Anyone who is looking for a place to make a holiday donation for a great cause, consider CF. Here is a link to their story and all they have accomplished in the last few years (http://cckt.org/). CF is one of, if not THE only disease that does not receive federal funding for research for a cure. It all comes from people like us.

Thoughts and prayers to Teddy's family and friends. Remember the memories and cherish them for a lifetime.

I don't post often. I knew teddy from IM sports. It took me two seasons to learn that he had CF. his heart and dedication in those sports made it unbelievable to me that he had so much drive even with this situation. CF is a bitch of a disease. One of my close friends from high school past away from it as well.

I will never forget our time playing IM sports teddy. You were a hell of a competitor and an even better person.



RIP

too young to lose friends. My thoughts go to you and all the friends of Teddy.

 who knew him. He seemed to have touched and left an impact on many people, Who seem to have many great memories. Thanks for sharing them. Its sad when they go so young.