From survival to advocacy, keynote speaker shares personal story at HSPC PDC 2025
Michael Kutcher may be best known as the twin brother of Hollywood actor Ashton Kutcher, but on Monday at HSPC’s Professional Development Conference (PDC) 2025, he stood entirely on his own. With honesty, humour, and emotional candour, Kutcher delivered a keynote that moved a room full of health and safety professionals to rethink their own sense of purpose, perspective, and perseverance.
“I don’t know a lot about safety,” he told the crowd. “But I do know about life. And I believe we all need to slow down, not just to hear the music, but to listen to it.”
A life marked by adversity and resilience
Born a surprise twin in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Kutcher entered the world more than two hours after his brother, weighing just 4.2 pounds and struggling to breathe. He spent his first month in neonatal intensive care. By age three, doctors diagnosed him with cerebral palsy, a diagnosis his mother refused to let define him.
“My parents taught me that no matter our abilities or inabilities, we all belong on the podium, even if it’s in last place,” he said. “They taught me inclusion long before it became a buzzword.”
At 13, another unexpected moment nearly ended his life. Kutcher was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and given just three to four weeks to live. Within days, he went into cardiac arrest and became the first child in the world to be placed on an experimental ECMO ventricular assist pump.
“I wasn’t even on the transplant list yet and I had 48 hours,” he recalled. “But 24 hours in, we got the call. I got my heart transplant, and I went home on Christmas Day.”
“It’s still your shot”
Kutcher described how these life-threatening experiences shaped him, but it was a lesson on a basketball court from his brother Ashton that stuck with him the most.
“We were playing HORSE, and he made me shoot right-handed knowing full well I couldn’t use my right arm,” he said. “I sat down and cried. And Ashton said, ‘I can’t make that shot for you. Mom can’t either. You’re the only one who can.’”
It’s a metaphor he uses to this day.
“Even with help, it’s still your shot. It’s still your challenge to overcome,” he said. “That stuck with me through every surgery, every diagnosis, every hard moment.”
The power of perspective in a fast-moving world
Kutcher’s keynote focused not on clinical details but on how we choose to see the world, even amid chaos. He shared stories familiar to many attendees; early mornings, family stress, overflowing inboxes, and reframed them as missed opportunities for connection.
“That car ride to soccer practice? It could be a chance to talk. That Zoom call or site visit? It might be your opportunity to learn or teach something,” he said. “Perspective changes everything.”
From stigma to advocacy
For years, Kutcher says, he hid his cerebral palsy, from friends, co-workers, even dates. But in 2010, his brother Ashton unexpectedly mentioned it during a national TV interview. Initially upset, Michael quickly found his mindset shift again when a woman named Christy invited him to speak at a local fundraiser for children with disabilities.
“I met a five-year-old girl named Bella who couldn’t walk or talk, and she inspired me,” he said. “She showed me that no matter our abilities, we all have the power to inspire someone.”
That moment led Kutcher to become a disability and inclusion advocate, joining the board of the Cerebral Palsy Foundation and lobbying Congress for increased research funding. In 2023, he successfully testified before U.S. lawmakers to secure new investments in cerebral palsy research.
Changing the language of disability
Kutcher challenged the use of the word “disability”, calling attention to the negativity embedded in the prefix “dis.”
“Disheartened. Disqualified. Disappointed. Dismembered,” he said, drawing laughter from the crowd. “What do they all have in common? Negativity. But there’s nothing negative about my abilities. They’re just different.”
Time: The universal equalizer
Closing his speech, Kutcher spoke about the importance of time — and how fleeting it truly is. He encouraged attendees to take the window seat on their next flight, “enjoy the view,” and look their loved ones in the eyes when they get home.
“Even the Joneses, my brother and Mila, when asked what they want for Christmas, they said, ‘We want more time,’” he said. “That’s what everyone wants. And we all have it, but we’re losing it at the same rate.”
Message for the safety community
While Kutcher's talk didn’t directly address workplace safety, his message had deep relevance for professionals charged with protecting the lives and well-being of others.
“Every morning when you wake up, you have a choice,” he said. “The day doesn’t decide if it’s good or bad, you do. I choose good days. I hope you do, too.”
As safety leaders face burnout, rising expectations, and growing psychosocial risks, Kutcher’s reminder lands with force: Purpose fuels perseverance, and every challenge is still your shot.
