Disabled Student Can't Join Class Hiking Trip, Teacher Refuses To Leave Her Behind And Comes Up With Plan

Sep 04, 2018 by apost team

Special-ed teacher Helma Wardenaar refused to let her student with cerebral palsy sit out during a class hiking trip because she knew it was unfair to exclude others because of a condition. While some people would accept the unfortunate circumstances, Helma started brainstorming.

Helma, director of student services at the Academy for Global Citizenship in Chicago, plans an annual hiking trip for her students where they can have fun and learn about nature for two days. This trip is something that every student anticipates all year, except for one student with cerebral palsy who knew she wouldn't be able to keep up with her classmates. Maggie needs a wheelchair and walker to get around, so hiking on uneven grounds for two days would be an impossible journey.

Instead of letting Maggie feel excluded, Helma concocted a genius plan.

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Maggie had been a student of Helma's since preschool. Leaving Maggie behind would have broken her heart, so she set out to her local REI store to speak with Greg Coleman, a worker who she hoped could help her find a solution. Unfortunately, nothing in the store could support Maggie's weight, so Helma set out to find another way.

Helma looked into ponies, wheelbarrows, and all kinds of inventive solutions, but none of them proved safe enough to transport Maggie. Days before their departure, Helma was delighted to discover she had received an email from Greg.

"I couldn’t let go of that idea. I really want to help you out," Greg wrote in his email. He found the perfect solution to take Maggie on her hiking trip.

To see more about how Maggie enjoyed hiking with her classmates, watch this video below. If you are inspired by Helma's kind heart, you can donate to her GoFundMe page that helps students like Maggie get the same care and accessibility as other students.

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