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On screen, the Wyatt Family are supposed to be great big scary cult members following the lead of a demon-possessed former NXT rookie. Out of character, however, they get to do things that make it impossible to believe they could ever be bad guys. Though Erick Rowan’s WrestleMania performance — losing to The Rock in an impromptu match — could be called forgettable at best, it was what he did outside the ring that gave one little boy an experience he’ll always remember.
Colby Tutt is a 13-year-old boy from Cleburne, Texas. Colby has been diagnosed with 34 separate illnesses, including a heart condition that will eventually require a transplant, a blood infection, kidney disease, brittle bone disease, high-functioning autism, and short-term memory loss. He’s stopped growing, so he has to be given regular growth hormone shots or else his organs will become too large for his body. His parents have continually made every effort to give Colby and his younger brother Colton, who also suffers from multiple chronic illness, their best lives possible.
Colby is a huge WWE fan, and his parents had been working to try to raise money to give him a break from hospital and hospice stays to get him to WrestleMania 32 in Dallas. A few days beforehand, a hospice photographer reached out to his friend, WWE Superstar Erick Rowan, to give Colby a once-in-a-lifetime surprise. Via ABC News:
“He called him and Erick said, ‘Say no more, I’ll come and take pictures,'” [his mother Danita] Tutt said. “Erick came in and he said, ‘Hey, is there a Colby Tutt here?’ and Colby turned around and said, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe this.’ Here is a superstar we watch on ‘WWE Raw’ on Sundays and ‘Smackdown’ on Thursdays and he took the time to come here and sit with Colby. Colby hadn’t been feeling well for days and this perked him up. This showed me that guy has a big heart.
He was the nicest guy and the smile on Colby’s face was just priceless. I held back tears because Colby doesn’t like to see anyone cry, but I thought it was awesome.”
With the help of WWE and the Tutt Family’s GoFundMe page, Colby and Colton were able to make it to WrestleMania.
