SAN ANTONIO – 13-year-old Rado Enev got to ride a high-speed zipline for the first time in his life, zooming past his friends and family watching below.
“I like to do exciting stuff and maybe scary stuff too, but it’s fun,” he said.
Rado lives his life in a wheelchair but says he doesn’t let that hold him back. Thanks to Morgan’s Camp and the nonprofit Wheelchairs 4 Kids, he and 23 other kids got to experience a wide variety of Summer camp experiences.
“They are all making friends there in cabins with kids of similar age. They’re all just getting to have that summer camp feeling that everybody is looking for,” said the Operations Manager with Wheelchairs 4 Kids, Elizabeth Reinhart. She says that coming to Morgan’s Camp is an important part of their program, making sure kids and their families have the full ability to experience what this part of Texas has to offer.
“It’s great because, as a parent, it makes me feel like she’s leading a normal life, and then she doesn’t have a disability. Because she gets to do all the things that everybody else gets to do,” said Jim Waugh when watching his daughter Danny.
Kids have been able to ride on a giant dropping swing, rock climb, navigate a ropes course, ride a horse, and, of course, zipline. These facilities have specific accommodations to ensure wheelchairs and kids can fit in, all while they make new friends.
“It’s interesting because I get to see, like, how other guys like me live and how they handle stuff. It’s interesting to know how they, like, deal with life, I guess you could say,” said Rado after going down the zipline.
Wheelchairs 4 Kids says they will be bringing more local families back to Morgan’s Camp again next year.