Amy Makar is a 10-year-old girl who always watched when her friends and other kids were riding their bikes.
Now with her Freedom Concepts bike, she can be like any other kid.
Amy has spina bifida, a birth defect that occurs when the spine and spinal cord don’t form properly. Because of her diagnosis, Amy has no use of her legs and can’t move them on her own.
“She can walk with bracing,” said her mother, Jennifer. “Lots and lots of bracing.”
Amy received her EHDU16 handcycle as a gift from the Sweet Julia Grace Foundation.
When asked what she wanted, Amy told them she wanted to ride a bike just like everyone else and all her friends.
“We would go to Walmart, and she would say ‘I want a bike.’ It’s kind of hard to explain to her that she couldn’t ride just any bike,” said Jennifer. “She needed a special bike.”
Jennifer is amazed at how Amy is pushing the Spina Bifida boundaries with her bike. She said that this bike is one of the many things that Amy can do, just like everybody else.
“It feels like we’re just breaking down barriers,” said Jennifer. “People didn’t think she would do much, and she does everything. There’s nothing that she doesn’t do.”
Amy likes the inclusion the bike provides her.
“What I like about the bike is that I get to be like other kids,” said Amy.
Thomas, Amy’s father, appreciates how she’s able to grow with the bike, thanks to its adjustable components.
“The seat is adjustable, the hand pedals are adjustable and the feet can be lowered down,” said Thomas. “As long as she grows, she’ll be able to keep on using this bike.”
Thomas also enjoys the upper body movement the bike provides Amy. She gets some of those therapeutic benefits from her wheelchair, but the bike helps work different muscle groups.
Even with assistance from Thomas and Jennifer, Amy can still enjoy the freedom of riding her bike which Thomas thinks every child should experience.
“The bike gives them the freedom of going out on their own, exploring and feeling like one of the kids,” said Thomas.
Watch Amy’s Story Here:
