Profile of an Eagle Scout by Tim Kachinske

Readers of American Scouting Digest may wonder why we are presenting a profile of a newly-minted Eagle Scout just halfway through his senior year in high school. Generally our profiles of notable Eagle Scouts have covered adults with many years of public service and notable achievement behind them – men whose lives and careers serve as models of accomplishment for all young scouts.

We at American Scouting Digest feel that Andrew Thibeault’s story will likewise serve to interest and inspire our readers. This is the story of a promising youth who was diagnosed with bone cancer two years ago just as he was getting heavily into Venture Scouting. Andrew’s heroic determination to beat this disease is respected by all who have come to know him. And his Eagle project, carried out from a hospital bed, is a model service project that will benefit children for years to come. Join us as we learn more about this remarkable young Eagle Scout.

Andrew Thibeault was born to a scouting family in southern California. Both his grandfather and his father are Eagle Scouts. Andrew’s older brother Alex, a sophomore at San Diego University, is also an Eagle Scout. Their mother, Nancy Thibeault, supported her family as a volunteer in her sons’ scout units.

Even as a very young boy Andrew Thibeault exhibited athletic prowess. Most adults who have known him since his elementary and middle school years recall thinking that Andrew would definitely be a varsity team athlete someday and that the choice of sport was his to make.

Andrew’s leadership abilities became apparent as soon as he began to play team sports in elementary school. When he joined a soccer league, he began enlisting other young boys and girls into the sport. Team parents saw early on that Andrew Thibeault had a "take charge" personality. He also had the kind of drive and discipline that mark a true athlete. A top scorer in his recreational league, he soon graduated to a premiere-level county soccer league.

Andrew’s father Dave Thibeault recalls a county playoff match that was tied at the half. Andrew and his teammates were worried because they knew they needed to be ahead at the half to beat this particular team.

"Ten seconds into the second half, Andrew took a shot from center field," said Dave. "Andrew just seemed to know the opponent goalie would be playing far out so early in the half. I know he believed if he could just put the ball over the goalie’s head, he might score. And he was right. Andrew just seems able to defy what the experts tell him isn’t possible."

A team parent remembers a basketball game that was tied with two seconds left on the clock. Andrew took a half-court shot – not out of desperation, but out of sheer confidence against the odds. And sure enough, he made the shot and his team won.

Andrew joined his scoutmaster dad and his brother Alex when he was old enough for Boy Scouts. His troop in San Diego was active in community events and outdoor activities.

With a father well-experienced in backpacking California’s mountain wilderness, and a troop that headed for the mountains at every chance, it was perhaps natural that Andrew became enthusiastic about life outdoors. Andrew’s Boy Scout unit, Troop 776, St. John’s Catholic Church, Encinitas, California, has been described as "fanatically into hiking."

"The thing I remember most about our troop backpacking trips with Andrew was his ‘can do’ attitude," recalls Scoutmaster John Leonard. "Andrew was great to have on these backpacking trips, because you could always count on him to come prepared and to step in and help with any problems the other scouts had during a trip."

"Of course, it was always fun to watch the Thibeault boys on these backpacking trips, including their dad Dave," said Leonard. "The three of them were always after each other for something, whether it was who was going to pump water or who was to carry the stove that day."

Another adult leader commented on the creativity shown in the competition between the two brothers. On a typical long hike one of the brothers would start counting aloud in Spanish with each step. Then the other would start at a high number and start counting backwards in Spanish.

Dr. Mark Spiro, a trauma surgeon and adult leader in Troop 776, recalls a hike to the summit of Mt. Langley in the Sierras. The troop had spent weeks planning and anticipating a hike to the top of this 14,000-foot mountain. Each scout had come to regard reaching the summit as a personal badge of courage and strength. Dr. Spiro’s recollection of Andrew’s experience reveals strength of character well beyond mere physical strength.

"Thinking of Andrew reminds me of a moving experience as I was leading these scouts toward the summit," said Dr. Spiro. "While we were heading up the mountain, one of our scouts was having trouble with altitude. Andrew’s dad volunteered to stay with the scout while we moved on. Andrew insisted on staying behind with the scout, too. Even though Andrew was a superb athlete and in excellent shape, and he could have easily made it to the top of Mt. Langley, Andrew stayed behind with the scout."

Dede Phillips, another adult leader from Troop 776, recalls a challenging hike to the Palisades Glacier. This glacier is nestled among the Sierra Nevadas, the highest mountains in California. The trail is excruciating, not just for its wilderness mountain ascent, but also for the steep, rocky descent toward the glacier basin.

"When we reached the basin, and looked down on that beautiful glacier, we felt great," said Phillips. "But that wasn’t enough for Andrew. He had to make his way all the way down the final mile to the actual glacier. He was the only Scout to go down and actually stand on the glacier. That took guts and strength. Andrew was very athletic. He never seemed to get tired."

Andrew’s dad recalls that day from a father’s perspective. "I remember wincing and waving at Andrew," said Dave. "The glacier ledges didn’t look so sturdy from far away. Andrew only smiled and waved back. It seemed to me he was unknowingly challenging the elements to defy his will."

Several years later, when Andrew’s Eagle Board of Review was held at his bedside in San Diego’s Children’s Hospital, Andrew was called to give his best memory of scouting. Without hesitation he recalled camping and backpacking excursions with his dad, brother, and fellow scouts as "the very best time of all."

Two years ago, just as Andrew was getting heavily into Venture Scouting, he was diagnosed with bone cancer. The specific medical term for his disease is Chondroblastic Osteosarcoma. This disease mostly occurs in adolescents during their second decade of life. For Andrew, it meant a tumor on the right side of his pelvis. It also meant surgery and months of chemotherapy. A large section of Andrew’s pelvis had to be surgically removed.

Despite his treatments and periodic hospital stays, Andrew Thibeault has continued his active life. He remained in high school and is presently in his senior year. He is an honor student, and he has already been accepted to three colleges.

Andrew was nominated to both his junior and senior homecoming courts. On homecoming day for the past two years, Andrew has insisted on walking the football field with his court. His mother and father suggested that he sit with them on the sidelines, or use a wheelchair for the half-mile procession to the field. "I’ll walk the whole way just like everybody else," his parents recall him saying.

To say that Andrew Thibeault has spirit is perhaps the understatement of the year. Even a serious disease like cancer did not halt his scouting career. With a grandfather, father and brother as Eagle Scouts, it is only natural that Andrew aspired to be an Eagle Scout. What is truly extraordinary is that despite major surgeries, chemotherapy and hospital stays, Andrew Thibeault achieved Eagle this past month.

Andrew’s Eagle project stands out for many reasons. It exemplifies the finest ideals of scouting by serving others. The circumstances under which the project was carried out serve as a model of determination for others aspiring to be Eagle Scouts. Andrew did not let periodic hospital stays get in the way of achieving his goal. In addition, Andrew’s project met a need that is clearly felt in many other communities.

Here’s what Andrew did: From his first visits to Children’s Hospital, Andrew discovered that there were limited diversions for children undergoing treatment. The hospital had video players, but the selection of videos was modest, to say the least, and included nothing for teens. "It was basically Bambi and The Little Mermaid," he recalled.

Andrew’s mother remembers the moment he thought of building the hospital’s collection so that patients like him would have more entertainment opportunities during their hospitalization. "Andrew lay there in bed, and all of sudden, he said, "I know what I’ll do for my Eagle project. We need more than Bambi movies.’"

From there Andrew developed a case to state the need for video and DVD films suitable for teens as well as young children. He organized a plan to get the case out, and began collecting videos for the hospital’s collection. By the time he was done with his Eagle project, Andrew had collected more than 3,000 videos for the young patients of Children’s Hospital.

Most adults who have come to know Andrew through scouting or athletics describe him as an outgoing, natural leader. But his mother describes another aspect of Andrew’s leadership qualities.

"I really consider him a ‘quiet’ leader," said Nancy. "Over the past two years Andrew has carefully maintained contact with his elementary and middle school friends. And he has been good at keeping up contact with his old teachers, scout leaders and coaches. He did this during periodic hospitalizations even when he wasn’t feeling very well. There’s no question in my mind that is the reason he was able to motivate and mobilize large numbers of people to make his project happen."

Andrew was actually hospitalized at the time he completed his project and all other Eagle requirements. On a Sunday afternoon this past January, officials of the Pacific Coast District joined Andrew and his family at his hospital bed.

"It was truly inspirational to see Andrew there in his bed in his scout uniform," recalls Hugh Christensen, Chair of the Pacific Coast District Eagle Board of Review. "After our secret vote, Andrew was advised that he passed. So we started his Court of Honor. Andrew pinned a Mom’s badge on his mother, and a Dad’s badge on his father. Andrew chose his brother Alex to receive his "mentor" pin. District Executive Jeff Young made some announcements. Bob Bolingbroke, Council President, read a letter of commendation from Roy L. Williams, Chief Scout Executive. I will never forget this Eagle Scout Board of Review and Court of Honor."

Today Andrew Thibeault faces great challenges. He is fighting a deadly form of cancer. His father Dave offers a special insight into what makes Andrew so successful. "When you have a son who was the strongest and fastest kid of any in the group, and when that kid can still smile after all he’s gone through in the past two years, it makes living life day to day an even greater joy. The only reason Andrew is still around today is because he is goal-oriented and pretty tough. He likes to hang in there and do the best he can every day. I really do attribute his attitude toward life to his days as a scout."