Retired Louisiana Man Creates and Donates Custom Bikes for Kids Living With Special Needs

Four-year-old Kaya Roach was born with cerebral palsy and epilepsy. Crawling is the only way she is mobile independently.

"It's been pretty hard knowing that she may never be able to walk and be like the other children," Amanda Roach, Kaya's mother, said. "But she's still Kaya, and that's all that matters to me."

Amanda told CBS News she would love for her to take part in activities like her friends one day. And that day is here, thanks to Louisiana retiree Andrew McLindon.

He recently surprised Kaya with an adaptive bike specially built for her needs with an extra wheel and straps to help keep her upright.

"The neighborhood kids thought this bike was the coolest thing they'd ever seen. They love it." Andrew said. "It's all about the inclusion thing, and that's when I knew, this is it. This is what we need to do."

He gave the first bike to a family friend 13 years ago. This is the 430th gift.

At first, Andrew paid for the bikes out of his pocket. Now they're funded by donations. Each one costs several thousands of dollars because they are custom made. 

That puts the bikes out of reach for many families already stretched to the max trying to pay for medical bills.

"It's everything. It's everything. It's what life is about," McLindon said, describing the feeling he gets when he sees those reactions of pure joy.

"The things that I get to see with these families of these children is a gift. It's an absolute gift, and it's not lost on me, and I'm very grateful for it," he added. "And subsequently, I'll do this forever."

Related Stories