A wheelchair-bound 7-year-old has been given an accessible playground to make playing with her friends that much easier.
Lily Courtney, 7, has cerebral palsy and dystonia, which has left her with trouble speaking and walking on her own.
Because it is nearly impossible to push her wheelchair on the pebbled terrain and help her climb up stairs at the playground, Lily has always stayed on the sidelines while her friends and siblings had fun.
"She could kind of watch as they played, but she really couldn't be involved as far as swinging with them or sliding down because she really couldn't have access to it,” her dad, Joe Courtney, told KWTX.
The new playground, a gift installed in her backyard by the Make-A-Wish Foundation, is equipped with wheelchair ramps, a slide and a special swing, as well as an air-conditioned indoor area with a television.
"It's something you've always dreamed that you wanted, you know, the kids to be able to play together, and now that they can," her mom, Terrie Magrans-Courtney, said. "It just warms your heart.”
The accessible playground was designed according to Lily’s physical therapy regimen. As she plays outside, she will also have the opportunity to strengthen her body.
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