For two long years, Lucas and Mason had dreamed of Adventure World. Two years of watching friends’ photos while they stayed home. Two years of saving every penny, planning every detail for one perfect day. Lucas, 11, with cerebral palsy, practiced his biggest smile in the mirror. Mason, 9, with muscular dystrophy, listed every ride he wanted to try, even knowing some were impossible.
But when I posted in the local parent group to see who else would be at the park, the responses shattered me:
“Please reconsider. Wheelchairs slow down the lines.”
“Other kids’ birthdays are that day—don’t ruin it.”
“Disabled kids shouldn’t be around normal families.”
I cried. My husband, David, punched a hole in the wall, then cried too. How do you explain to your children that the world doesn’t want them at a theme park?
We lied. Told the boys the park was closed. Lucas’s face crumpled. Mason cried quietly in his room.
Then David made a desperate call to an old friend, Tommy, now part of a motorcycle club. Three hours later, three massive bikers—Tommy, Bear, and Marcus—rolled into our driveway. Scary on the outside, but kind at their core.
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