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Local family enjoys water wheelchair at SaskParks

Jul 19, 2017 | 12:17 PM

Max Lavallee and his family like to stay active, and now they can enjoy their summer vacation even more since Saskatchewan Provincial Parks purchased water wheelchairs. 

The local 12-year-old lives with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, which is a motor neuron disease that affects the voluntary spinal muscles that are used for activities such as crawling, walking, head and neck control, and swallowing.

He, his mother Andrea, and their entire family say they are elated at this accessible addition to their summer experiences.

Max said he is feels great about being able to enjoy the beach more fully.

“I’m more independent,” he said. “I get to go swimming a lot more. I was pretty excited, not nervous at all, the first time I went in.”

Andrea said the easy-to-use wheelchairs have three large PVC tires that roll over sand easily and the entire apparatus is designed to float.

“As a parent, if I want to take him to the beach by myself, I can load him up on that and be able to take him in and out of the water as much as we want,” she said. “Otherwise we don’t go to the beach, because his regular power chair doesn’t do well in sand. It’s opened up our whole world in the summertime.”

She said the addition of these chairs is going to give Max, and others like him who use wheelchairs more freedom.

“Not only is it great for us as parents; when he gets older and him and his friends want to go to the beach, this is a totally viable option for them,” Andrea said. 

Andrea said now that the provincial parks have launched this pilot program, she’s hoping trail riders are a future additon to the parks. 

“They are a wheelbarrow type hiking chair,” she said. “Because they’ve had such good feedback, it would be great if they [looked] into doing some trail rider programs.”

According to SaskParks, there are currently five chairs across the province, they are free of charge to use, and are transferable between parks. Those wishing to use a chair are encouraged to reserve them at least one week in advance.

 

kathy.gallant@jpbg.ca  

On Twitter @ReporterKath