Meet Charlie!

Meet eight-year-old Charlie, who was diagnosed with spina bifida. He is confined to a wheelchair as a result of the illness. Charlie also endured several weeks in the NICU and 10 surgeries. He is a very active boy despite these and other limitations.

 

Charlie never lets grass grow under his tires. He attends school and his favorite activity is performing experiments in science class. He also has fun playing with bugs, but dad hopes that this is just a third-grade phase. Charlie, most of all, is a sports fan. He not only watches sports, but he participates, too. He has played softball, tennis, basketball, and even golf. His preferred sport, however, is sled hockey. In this adaptive form of the game, Charlie pushes himself on a sled using specialized hockey sticks. He can use them to also hit the puck. Charlie’s dream is to get organized sled hockey in the bay area for other people with disabilities. Furthermore, Charlie can be found relaxing with a fishing pole. This young boy has a very busy life, but he never forgets about his family. He loves them and gladly helps  taking  care of his baby brother and younger sister. Charlie’s family say that he likes being challenged, but one thing comes easy for the disabled boy. Holding us up with his strength.

 

 

Charlie received his trike as a surprise at our first sled hockey event! He was in complete disbelief and said: “I use one of these at therapy!” Now Charlie has his very own hand bike that will help him build his upper body strength, his cardiovascular endurance but most importantly, it will give him the opportunity to ride a bike like all the boys in his neighborhood!