After seeing her disabled son have so much fun splashing waves in the sea, his mother burst into tears.
Helen Butterfield, a mother of three, has never seen her two-year-old son, Joey Leathwood, have so much fun at the beach; he has quadriplegic cerebral palsy, which affects the arms, legs, torso, and face.
Joey dislikes the feel of grass, sand, sun, or snow due to sensory issues, so the family cannot enjoy beach trips. But everything changed when Beach Ability offered Joey the use of its beach wheelchairs. Helen posted a video of him surfing the waves on social media.
“Seeing his reaction was probably one of the most special moments of my life,” Helen said. “Honestly, he has never laughed so hard,” she continued, “Beach Ability has given my boy the opportunity to experience waves and mother nature’s beauty instead of feeling excluded and different.” I’m just glad I managed to capture it on film. This is a day we will never forget.”
“I was unsure at first with the wheelchair because I didn’t know much about them and thought there was no way it would go across the sand,” she continued. However, it was the simplest thing I’d ever pushed. It was extremely smooth and simple to use.”
Helen knew Joey loved water because of the way he splashes in the bath, so she gave Beach Ability permission to take Joey to the beach and have a good time. “He’s been through a lot, so seeing him in the sea was the best feeling ever,” Helen explained. “He is so small but so powerful.” I was crying, but they were happy tears, and seeing how happy he was made me cry. From beginning to end, the experience was flawless.”
