A heartwarming video of a mother taking her son with cerebral palsy for skateboarding for the first time is going viral on the internet. The boy in the video is 7-year-old Joao Vicente who lives in Brazil. He can be seen enjoying the sport with the help of specially designed skateboard.
Joao is fastened to a rig with his feet on the skateboard. Joao's mother is helping him navigate through the flat surface as well as steep ramps. She continues to push her son at a speed so that Joao can live out his dream to skate. Despite tiring herself out, the smile on Joao's face keeps her going.
The video was first shared by his mother Lau Patron, who is ready to go to any length to fulfill the dream of her son.
Joao was just 20 months old when he collapsed after having a stroke. It was caused by a rare autoimmune disorder and by the time he recovered, it was discovered that Joao also had cerebral palsy. This caused an inability to walk independently.
He grew up into a cheerful and adrenaline-seeking boy with a simple dream to skate. His mother tried everything to replace his desire for skateboarding with other things but in vain.
'Wanted my kid to fulfill all his dreams'
Lau said that she wanted her kid to fulfill all his dreams but knew that such things are not normal for children who have cerebral palsy or some other kind of disability. But she was ready to go to any length to help his realise his dream. This is when she started searching for ways to allow Joao to skate and stumbled across Skate Anima.
Skate Anima is a collaboration between psychologist Daniel Paniagua and physiotherapist Stevan Pinto, both skateboarders. They wanted to give every child the chance to enjoy the sport and started building adapted skateboards according to the requirements of each child.
The duo designed a rig that helped Joao to enjoy skating. The frame around the skateboard keeps him upright and secure. According to Lau Patron, the experience of skating has boosted the self-esteem of his son immensely.
