Sharing Your Abilities

Cerebral palsy is a disease that affects families around the world and despite the diseases disabling factors, that does not stop those who have it from living their lives to the fullest. At times it may seems as if they are unable to do things, but the seemingly impossible can become possible with the help of others.

In Ann Arbor, Michigan a 14-year-old boy, Hunter Gandee, and his 7-year-old brother, Braden, finished a 40-mile walk to raise awareness for the disease. Braden himself is one of many that have the disease. Before embarking on the walk to raise awareness the brothers came to an agreement that Hunter would carry Braden on his back the entire since he himself would not be able to do so on his own.

When the two reached the 30-mile walk, Hunter had grown exhausted and debated whether or not he would be able to continue. Another thing that almost stopped the two from completing the walk was the fact that Braden's legs were chafing very badly.

During their struggle to continue on with the walk Hunter reached out to a friend who prayed for the brothers to have the strength to complete the walk. After a moment of rest the brothers were assisted throughout the remaining 10 miles and were able to complete the walk. Once they reached the finish at the top of a hill, Hunter lifted Braden up so that he could touch a "Go Blue" banner to indicate that they had completed their goal.

Along their journey they now only faced the feeling of exhaustion but also had to put up with heat of Saturday and the rain on Sunday. Still that did not stop the two. Both were very committed to the goal that the walk was aiming for and Hunter's admiration for his brother's way of dealing with the disease helped him push through the temptation to give up. For Hunter, the walk was about doing something for his brother.

"I can't even describe to you how special (Braden) is to me. I can't put it into words," Hunter said. "He's awesome. He's always there for me. I really just wanted to give back to him in some way."

The two hope that their dedication will inspire people to come up with ideas for mobility and medical procedures to help those with the disease.
     To those who read this article, I would like to encourage you to find a way to assist others. It can be a small donation or helping somebody up when they cannot stand on their own. We should all be able to experience the things in life that are filled with meaning. We cannot let something such as a disease or disability, hold somebody back from doing something that everyone around them can do so easily. Those who are given the ability to do something were given that gift so that they may share it with others.

People say that those who are disabled are incapable of certain things, but we all are incapable of doing certain things. Just because we along cannot do something does not mean that it is impossible, all it means is that we need help to do it.