Six Friends Take Their Disabled Friend On The Trip Of A Lifetime

by Guest Sat Oct 28, 2017 12:17 pm

In the summer of 2015, a group of friends decided to set out on an adventure together. They wanted to go to Europe, but it was going to be a bit trickier than just that. One of them, after all, was in a wheelchair.

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Six Friends Take Their Disabled Friend On The Trip Of A Lifetime 1sv4f-4-friends-carry-disabled-friend-trip-of-lifetime-1a

Kevan Chandler was born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a neuromuscular disease which limits his mobility, and the gang wanted to visit some specific places that were not exactly handicap accessible.

The seven friends spent a year working toward their goal to travel, including a fundraiser and designing a backpack to carry Kevan on their backs. This project became known as We Carry Kevan, and grew to be more than they ever dreamed. In June of 2016, they boarded an airplane to Paris, leaving Kevan's wheelchair at the Atlanta airport. The team spent three weeks exploring the cities and countrysides of Europe, completely unhindered by the question of accessibility.

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Six Friends Take Their Disabled Friend On The Trip Of A Lifetime 4lkym-4-friends-carry-disabled-friend-trip-of-lifetime-1

Four of the guys took turns carrying Kevan while two filmed the experience.

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Six Friends Take Their Disabled Friend On The Trip Of A Lifetime Z4mya-4-friends-carry-disabled-friend-trip-of-lifetime-2

From dance parties in France to monastic climbs in Ireland, these friends saw the world for what it truly is - big, wild, wonderful, and open to their footsteps.

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Six Friends Take Their Disabled Friend On The Trip Of A Lifetime Fgc6l-4-friends-carry-disabled-friend-trip-of-lifetime-3

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"One of the most beautiful things about it was that I got to go on this adventure with some of my best friends and we could go anywhere and do whatever without having to think about accessibility," Kevan said. "So in a way we redefined the idea of accessibility in that everything became accessible because we did it differently."

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Six Friends Take Their Disabled Friend On The Trip Of A Lifetime T8ys1-4-friends-carry-disabled-friend-trip-of-lifetime-7

Kevan refuses to let his disability define him.

"There is a reality that we [Kevan and his sister] are disabled. It's not a bad word, it's not a misconception, we can't walk. I'll refer to myself as a cripple. I don't care because that's what I am, but I also realise that that's just a part of who I am, that's not entirely who I am, so I'm not defined by the wheelchair that I'm in or the strength that I have."

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Six Friends Take Their Disabled Friend On The Trip Of A Lifetime 1q42p-4-friends-carry-disabled-friend-trip-of-lifetime-8

Watch the video below.

https://www.sunnyskyz.com/blog/2299/Six-Friends-Take-Their-Disabled-Friend-On-The-Trip-Of-A-Lifetime

by magica Sat Oct 28, 2017 12:29 pm

How wonderful, now they are what you call friends and what true friendships are all about.

by Guest Sat Oct 28, 2017 12:37 pm

magica wrote:How wonderful, now they are what you call friends and what true friendships are all about.

Indeed magica.

There is a few videos on youtube of their travels.

by magica Sat Oct 28, 2017 4:34 pm

It is wonderful Didge that he's not left out because of his disabilities. Where there's a will there's a way.

I will look on YouTube later.

by Syl Sat Oct 28, 2017 4:54 pm

Stories like this, which Didge is really good at posting, reinforces the belief that there are is so much kindness in the world.
All to often the news and internet is filled with bad news that show the worst side of human nature, but good people are all around.

These lads are a cut above most though...what brilliant mates they are..