A wheelchair-bound man who is stricken with spinal muscular atrophy is getting a chance to fulfill his dream of traveling around the world—with a little help from his friends.
Kevan Chandler, 31, and eight friends adapted a backpack to allow the musician to be carried around his destinations.
The Fort Wayne, Indiana native was ferried around Europe and a number of US states, taking in the view on his friends’ backs. Next up on his wishlist is the Great Wall of China.
“Traveling in the rucksack is awesome. I love the freedom it brings, not having to worrying about accessibility and going wherever we want,” Chandler told Caters News.
“It does come with its own challenges, though, as everything does. While I’m free to go anywhere, I’m on someone’s back, so I can’t just wander off by myself. It’s not better or worse, it’s just another type of freedom.
“But looking at a mountain or a set of old steps, it’s a great feeling to know I can trek that now.”
While the homemade carrier has been a success, backpack manufacturer Deuter has now specially designed a second, more professional version for his Chandler’s future travels.
Chandler was diagnosed with the spinal muscular atrophy as a young child after his older sister also was found to have the condition.
Despite his condition he lived as normal a childhood as possible and, with the help of close family and friends, is still able to lead an independent lifes.
“I was diagnosed with SMA as a toddler. I should have started walking on my own but it wasn’t happening,” Chandler explained to Caters.
“My sister, who is three years older, also has SMA, so by the time I arrived it was pretty easy to recognize and diagnose.
“I have always lived a pretty normal life. I went to public school and hung out with the track team. I also played in a band and lived on campus in college. I live with a roommate nowadays and ‘walk’ downtown most days on my own, so in a lot of ways life is normal and I’m pretty independent.”
He does, however, need some help with bathrooms and showers and going to bed.
And he is appreciative that his friends stepped up to allow him to travel.
“I remember one night in Wales and we stayed in a quiet old town, and after dinner we wandered down to the pier and watched the moon’s reflection on the bay, spotted by silhouetted sailboats. It’s moments like those that mean the most,” said Chandler.
“So far we have done the one big trip, in which we visited France, England and Ireland. When we got home, though, we also did some hiking around the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, which was awesome.”
Their success has emboldened Chandler and his friends to plan more trips to Europe and one to China.
“It’s amazing what you can do with a backpack and some friends,” he said.
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