On Friday, Trish Allen posted a video to her Facebook page. It featured her son, 10-year-old Seth Allen swinging in a wheelchair accessible playground swing for the very first time. The video is truly moving as Seth—who suffers from cerebral palsy and cannot speak, giggles and shrieks with delight. After the video began to go viral, news stations like 5News in Arkansas, picked the story up and more and more people had a chance to enjoy Seth’s triumphant swing ride.
Trish Allen: We have always had to, you know, do our own thing as far as making the world accessible to Seth; and so something like this coming along, it takes the burden off of us—it’s already there and it’s one less battle that we have to do to make the world accessible to him.
Park staff and a committee from First Presbyterian Church in Fort Smith made this happen for the Allen family. Trish Allen is clearly grateful for this outreach by the community and has a clear and universal message we can all agree upon.
We’re the voice of these kids and they can only get as much of the world as we can give to them. So don’t be afraid to step out there and speak up for your child and do what they need to give them the opportunities that other children have as well.
Enjoy the delight; but have tissues because Fort Smith, Arkansas, is clearly in the thick of allergy season right now.