Will Butts
Words by Katie Butts
Running the Race Before Him
The West Texas sun beat down on the late June morning when our OBGYN’s office called and invited me to demo a new 3D ultrasound machine. They needed a guinea pig and at 30 weeks pregnant, I was the ideal candidate. Our world changed completely that day.
We learned our precious baby would be born with limb differences - an amputee missing parts of his hands and feet. We were told the baby may not survive and if he did survive, he may not be able to smile or move his jaw. Two days later, on our anniversary, we found ourselves in a maternal fetal medicine specialist’s office undergoing a battery of tests. Within a week, we were in Dallas for fetal MRIs, echocardiograms, and consults with numerous specialists. Termination was offered and we quickly informed our team that this baby was wanted and created in the image of God.
In April, I had painted “fearfully and wonderfully made,” a portion of Psalm 139, on the nursery walls, long before I would have to claim those words as true and anchor my soul to them. Each week of my pregnancy, I would pray over the baby’s body being formed that particular week as I read “What to Expect.” I distinctly remember very early in the pregnancy praying over his hands and feet as they were being formed. At that time, I had no idea how the Lord would come to answer my prayer that this baby’s hands and feet would be used to bring Him glory and to point to Jesus. Never in my limited imagination did I think to pray his hands and feet would be formed typically – I took that for granted. I prayed for their purpose not their form. The Lord has answered that prayer over and over and over again.
In August, our baby was born with a team on hand ready to fight for his life. We had not known what gender our baby would be- in the midst of so much abnormal, we needed something normal to cling to. We wanted the first words out of the doctor’s mouth to not be about our baby’s limbs but to announce if it was a boy or girl. I painted a sign for the door with Psalm 139 – instructing all who entered to congratulate us and to know that this baby was fearfully and wonderfully made and designed on purpose and with purpose. I did not want pity or sorrow in that room. William David arrived after a short labor and immediately, we fell in love. I had no idea how quickly a baby could capture a heart completely. Nine days later, we escaped from the NICU in Dallas and returned home to West Texas.
Ten months later, he received his first pair of prosthetic legs. Shortly after his first birthday, he took his first steps- first he walked “barefoot” without feet and a few weeks later, he walked with his prosthetic legs for the first time. We threw a walking party to celebrate first steps- twice! Shortly thereafter, he took off running and hasn’t stopped since.
We learned our precious baby would be born with limb differences - an amputee missing parts of his hands and feet. We were told the baby may not survive and if he did survive, he may not be able to smile or move his jaw. Two days later, on our anniversary, we found ourselves in a maternal fetal medicine specialist’s office undergoing a battery of tests. Within a week, we were in Dallas for fetal MRIs, echocardiograms, and consults with numerous specialists. Termination was offered and we quickly informed our team that this baby was wanted and created in the image of God.
In April, I had painted “fearfully and wonderfully made,” a portion of Psalm 139, on the nursery walls, long before I would have to claim those words as true and anchor my soul to them. Each week of my pregnancy, I would pray over the baby’s body being formed that particular week as I read “What to Expect.” I distinctly remember very early in the pregnancy praying over his hands and feet as they were being formed. At that time, I had no idea how the Lord would come to answer my prayer that this baby’s hands and feet would be used to bring Him glory and to point to Jesus. Never in my limited imagination did I think to pray his hands and feet would be formed typically – I took that for granted. I prayed for their purpose not their form. The Lord has answered that prayer over and over and over again.
In August, our baby was born with a team on hand ready to fight for his life. We had not known what gender our baby would be- in the midst of so much abnormal, we needed something normal to cling to. We wanted the first words out of the doctor’s mouth to not be about our baby’s limbs but to announce if it was a boy or girl. I painted a sign for the door with Psalm 139 – instructing all who entered to congratulate us and to know that this baby was fearfully and wonderfully made and designed on purpose and with purpose. I did not want pity or sorrow in that room. William David arrived after a short labor and immediately, we fell in love. I had no idea how quickly a baby could capture a heart completely. Nine days later, we escaped from the NICU in Dallas and returned home to West Texas.
Ten months later, he received his first pair of prosthetic legs. Shortly after his first birthday, he took his first steps- first he walked “barefoot” without feet and a few weeks later, he walked with his prosthetic legs for the first time. We threw a walking party to celebrate first steps- twice! Shortly thereafter, he took off running and hasn’t stopped since.
While living in Midland, we would often receive notes in the mail from the Marvin prayer team. We had not been to Marvin in years, yet people so graciously remembered our Will and as we faced surgeries or hard medical seasons with him, the Marvin prayer warriors were on their knees for a baby boy across Texas. Those prayer cards meant so much to us and eventually were part of what drew us back to Marvin when we relocated to Tyler.
When Will was 3, I found myself flying every ten days with him and his infant sister for medical appointments at pediatric hospitals in Dallas. This was not sustainable for our family and so we began considering relocating. We wanted to be within a “day trip” of Dallas hospitals and chose Tyler because we had family and a support network already here. We tried several churches across Tyler but ultimately were drawn back to Marvin when we learned that several members had approached the church about a need for an accessible playground.
Despite its historic age, Marvin is one of the few churches we found that is actually accessible for our children! It was the only church we attended where our children could actually access the playground rather than simply watch their peers from the sides. This was life changing for our family and so we switched our membership to Marvin, a place where we felt they saw the value in our fearfully and wonderfully made children and recognized the Imago Dei in our precious kids. Our children were seen as part of the Kingdom and their value to the Church body evident by the way Marvin leadership welcomed our family and made spaces accessible. Will became a believer and began making his faith his own after being baptized at We Hope Ranch in front of our Marvin Church family.
In middle school, Will surprised us and decided to join the drumline at his school. We weren’t sure how this would work with partial hands, but he figured out a way! He approached Celia Tucker, the drummer at CORE Worship and shared his drumline excitement. A few weeks later, on a Sunday morning, Celia and David Tucker surprised him with a handmade box drum! He loved it and began playing that often. A few years later, after a major growth spurt, Celia noticed his new height and they built him a bigger box drum! As a senior this year, he is now the captain of his school’s large drumline – the boy missing hands is leading others in drumming.
When Will was 3, I found myself flying every ten days with him and his infant sister for medical appointments at pediatric hospitals in Dallas. This was not sustainable for our family and so we began considering relocating. We wanted to be within a “day trip” of Dallas hospitals and chose Tyler because we had family and a support network already here. We tried several churches across Tyler but ultimately were drawn back to Marvin when we learned that several members had approached the church about a need for an accessible playground.
Despite its historic age, Marvin is one of the few churches we found that is actually accessible for our children! It was the only church we attended where our children could actually access the playground rather than simply watch their peers from the sides. This was life changing for our family and so we switched our membership to Marvin, a place where we felt they saw the value in our fearfully and wonderfully made children and recognized the Imago Dei in our precious kids. Our children were seen as part of the Kingdom and their value to the Church body evident by the way Marvin leadership welcomed our family and made spaces accessible. Will became a believer and began making his faith his own after being baptized at We Hope Ranch in front of our Marvin Church family.
In middle school, Will surprised us and decided to join the drumline at his school. We weren’t sure how this would work with partial hands, but he figured out a way! He approached Celia Tucker, the drummer at CORE Worship and shared his drumline excitement. A few weeks later, on a Sunday morning, Celia and David Tucker surprised him with a handmade box drum! He loved it and began playing that often. A few years later, after a major growth spurt, Celia noticed his new height and they built him a bigger box drum! As a senior this year, he is now the captain of his school’s large drumline – the boy missing hands is leading others in drumming.
He plays that box drum built by Celia and David in his school’s praise band – helping to lead 350 students and faculty in worship. As only the Lord would orchestrate, Celia Tucker is now the college guidance counselor at his school and gets to see her young protégé drummer on campus!
Celia and David believed in Will and mentored him at an early age, living out Scripture’s commands to pour into the next generation. Will’s hands, created just as they are, help lead students in worship and point others to Jesus- just as I prayed for their purpose all those years ago.
Will began running at an early age, competing in his first para track meet around age four. He said he felt like he was “flying” as he crossed the finish line. Blade legs are a complex blend of art and science, and we have travelled the nation in search of the best prosthetists for elite amputee sprinters. By late elementary school, he was waking up before dawn to get miles in before school. As a junior high sprinter, he did not medal until the final meet of his eighth-grade year. He never ran against another amputee at a single school event and has always been the only para-athlete at any school meet. Racing able-bodied runners has motivated Will to train harder and run faster. He has to work harder than runners who have ankles and feet. At one local meet, an opponent told him that if he lost to Will, a runner on prosthetics, he would end his running career out of embarrassment. Will beat him.
Will began running at an early age, competing in his first para track meet around age four. He said he felt like he was “flying” as he crossed the finish line. Blade legs are a complex blend of art and science, and we have travelled the nation in search of the best prosthetists for elite amputee sprinters. By late elementary school, he was waking up before dawn to get miles in before school. As a junior high sprinter, he did not medal until the final meet of his eighth-grade year. He never ran against another amputee at a single school event and has always been the only para-athlete at any school meet. Racing able-bodied runners has motivated Will to train harder and run faster. He has to work harder than runners who have ankles and feet. At one local meet, an opponent told him that if he lost to Will, a runner on prosthetics, he would end his running career out of embarrassment. Will beat him.
Will’s freshman year on the track team was difficult with no medals to his name, but he set his goals and continued to train. By his sophomore year, Will was invited to join a delegation of USA para-athletes to represent the States in Thailand at a large international meet. He boarded a plane alone at DFW and flew to Asia where he met up with Paralympic and college coaches and his teammates for two weeks of intensive training and competition. While there, for the first time really, he had to practice his faith out loud among peer athletes of different faith systems. He also saw his racing career began to take off as he took home a bronze and a silver medal! Those events qualified him for the Team USA Trials in July 2024, just weeks ahead of the Paris Paralympics. While he was not yet eligible for the Paris team, he went to Trials for the experience of racing the best in the nation. It was both an empowering and a humbling event- the youngest on the track, Will realized what he had to do to reach his goals. Following this event, he was officially added to the “Emerging Athlete” list by Team USA. This list comprises the pipeline of athletes being watched as potential future Paralympians. Despite a setback from an injury, Will continued to train and push himself, racing able-bodied athletes at school events and para-athletes around the nation at every opportunity.
At one event in the spring of 2025, a young amputee runner was racing against Will in a mixed relay heat. He had at least three feet on her and it would have been an easy win for him. He already had the times he needed to qualify for nationals and so he purposefully slowed his stride as he raced her and encouraged her along the way. As they crossed the finish line, I noticed as he stopped to high five her and congratulate her. She wanted a picture with him. I remembered those years when he was the youngest on the track and older athletes mentored him and now I had the privilege of watching Will turn around to mentor those younger than him.
In July, a meet in LA qualified him for the USA Track and Field National Outdoor Championships, held annually at the historic Hayward Field in Eugene, OR. Under the same governing body of USA Track and Field, this would be the first time para-athletes would be allowed to compete at the same event as their able-bodied peers. The energy at Hayward was insane. Elite college athletes and professional athletes who had numerous medals from various Olympics were on the track. Will was one of a handful of high school athletes present. He was the youngest in each of his heats by a decade. He was the only one in his events who had not yet competed in the Paralympic Games.
He ran his best and surpassed expectations. Will competed in the 100 meter dash and 400 meter dash, where he won a bronze medal. He congratulated the stars he raced against on their events. After his final event, elite runner and multi-medalist Paralympian, Blake Leeper, sat down with Will on the cooldown track and told Will he would be passing the torch down to him. Will’s goal is to race in LA 2028.
He’s currently a senior at Grace, pursuing various universities across the nation and savoring his senior year as Drumline Captain. He will run his final high school track season this spring, once again racing against able-bodied athletes and proving that feet are overrated. He is already training and putting in the work to try to qualify for Worlds and the Pan-American Games next year with the dream of someday representing the United States at the Paralympic Games.
At one event in the spring of 2025, a young amputee runner was racing against Will in a mixed relay heat. He had at least three feet on her and it would have been an easy win for him. He already had the times he needed to qualify for nationals and so he purposefully slowed his stride as he raced her and encouraged her along the way. As they crossed the finish line, I noticed as he stopped to high five her and congratulate her. She wanted a picture with him. I remembered those years when he was the youngest on the track and older athletes mentored him and now I had the privilege of watching Will turn around to mentor those younger than him.
In July, a meet in LA qualified him for the USA Track and Field National Outdoor Championships, held annually at the historic Hayward Field in Eugene, OR. Under the same governing body of USA Track and Field, this would be the first time para-athletes would be allowed to compete at the same event as their able-bodied peers. The energy at Hayward was insane. Elite college athletes and professional athletes who had numerous medals from various Olympics were on the track. Will was one of a handful of high school athletes present. He was the youngest in each of his heats by a decade. He was the only one in his events who had not yet competed in the Paralympic Games.
He ran his best and surpassed expectations. Will competed in the 100 meter dash and 400 meter dash, where he won a bronze medal. He congratulated the stars he raced against on their events. After his final event, elite runner and multi-medalist Paralympian, Blake Leeper, sat down with Will on the cooldown track and told Will he would be passing the torch down to him. Will’s goal is to race in LA 2028.
He’s currently a senior at Grace, pursuing various universities across the nation and savoring his senior year as Drumline Captain. He will run his final high school track season this spring, once again racing against able-bodied athletes and proving that feet are overrated. He is already training and putting in the work to try to qualify for Worlds and the Pan-American Games next year with the dream of someday representing the United States at the Paralympic Games.
We never could have foreseen his future back in that OBGYN’s office as scared parents to be. We were given many worst-case scenarios. We had no idea he would someday drive, write beautiful cursive, get straight A’s, lead a drumline, and chase gold medals down a track.
We jokingly say in our family that hands and feet are overrated. We have seen the truth of Job 42:2 play out as the Lord has shown us through Will’s life no purpose of His can be thwarted. He has demonstrated his creativity as a Creator. His character has been revealed to us in so many unique ways through Will’s life. We’ve watched as Will has developed a passion for advocating for those who lack opportunities to speak up, especially within the disability community. He has a heart for justice and is compassionate towards all. He has the gift of encouragement and mentoring - perhaps sparked by Celia and David Tucker’s encouragement of him as a drummer at such a young age.
The prayers of the Marvin warriors all those years ago have not gone unanswered - sometimes the answers have been different than we expected but the Lord has done immeasurably more than we could have ever asked or imagined (Ephesians 3:20).
A year ago, Will was invited to speak to a school and to share his story. He told the students that he would not change his body if he could. Will has seen the faithfulness of God and the opportunities to witness miracles every day. Observing Will run fast without feet is miraculous to behold. One can’t help but see God at work when they see Will fly across a finish line on blades. We watch the impossible happen before our eyes. It is our prayer that Will continues to point others to Jesus.
When strangers question him about his missing hands and feet, a common occurrence for him, he quickly credits God’s creativity and reminds people we are all made in the image of God - fearfully and wonderfully made. We prayed for miracles in our pregnancy and while God’s answer was a different miracle than we prayed for, it is the better miracle. Our son runs without feet and drums with partial hands; we witness miracles daily. We believe God will continue His faithfulness in Will’s life as he points others towards a good God and runs the race set before him.
We jokingly say in our family that hands and feet are overrated. We have seen the truth of Job 42:2 play out as the Lord has shown us through Will’s life no purpose of His can be thwarted. He has demonstrated his creativity as a Creator. His character has been revealed to us in so many unique ways through Will’s life. We’ve watched as Will has developed a passion for advocating for those who lack opportunities to speak up, especially within the disability community. He has a heart for justice and is compassionate towards all. He has the gift of encouragement and mentoring - perhaps sparked by Celia and David Tucker’s encouragement of him as a drummer at such a young age.
The prayers of the Marvin warriors all those years ago have not gone unanswered - sometimes the answers have been different than we expected but the Lord has done immeasurably more than we could have ever asked or imagined (Ephesians 3:20).
A year ago, Will was invited to speak to a school and to share his story. He told the students that he would not change his body if he could. Will has seen the faithfulness of God and the opportunities to witness miracles every day. Observing Will run fast without feet is miraculous to behold. One can’t help but see God at work when they see Will fly across a finish line on blades. We watch the impossible happen before our eyes. It is our prayer that Will continues to point others to Jesus.
When strangers question him about his missing hands and feet, a common occurrence for him, he quickly credits God’s creativity and reminds people we are all made in the image of God - fearfully and wonderfully made. We prayed for miracles in our pregnancy and while God’s answer was a different miracle than we prayed for, it is the better miracle. Our son runs without feet and drums with partial hands; we witness miracles daily. We believe God will continue His faithfulness in Will’s life as he points others towards a good God and runs the race set before him.