Coolest Bike For the Coolest Kid!

Check this thing out! This is Logan’s new bike, and it’s not just any bike. This is an adaptive bike, geared and fitted just for her. It is the ultimate therapy tool with maximum fun all in one!

We have our dear friend, Rob (that’s him up above), to thank for this. Rob was one of David’s physical trainers when he played football at UNC, and they have stayed close ever since. He is also a fellow NYer from Brooklyn, has an incredible family, and just happens to live down the street from us. In fact, he is the one who sold David on our neighborhood, which we LOVE! So we have him to thank for that too 🙂

Well, Rob works a ATI Physical Therapy in Chapel Hill, and they work with the Klimb4Kids campaign. It’s a pretty impressive campaign that they have. Their mission is to provide kids like Logan the funding and resources needed to give them the highest quality of life possible. If you are not part of the special needs world, you may not know how expensive EVERYTHING is! This bike alone was a few thousand dollars. Imagine spending that on a bike…for your child!

They had asked Rob if he knew of a family in NC who may benefit from their services. He immediately thought of us. He drives by our house every day, and when the weather is nice we are usually seen on our front lawn. Jack and Wes are usually running around or are riding their bikes at the dead end. Logan, however, is usually sitting on a blanket watching the fun. We did have one of those tricycles that have the parent steering on the back…the type that grows with your child. Well, Logan got too big for that, and it was a beast trying to get her in it. Rob, being the PT that he is, saw that a proper bike was needed. Before we knew it, Rob was over at our house, sitting on the floor with us talking about this opportunity.

David and I were thrilled about it, but then we thought that there was surely another family that needed their help more. We have our challenges with Logan, but we are pretty lucky in the grand scheme of things. Rob assured us that we were the right family, so we accepted. Shortly after that I got a call from Sharon from the organization, and before we knew it we were eagerly waiting for the bike.

We were asked to come to Rob’s office for the bike presentation. They really went above and beyond for this! The entire staff was there, including Rob, as well as Sharon and some others from the organization. Our parents came, of course, and the newest member of our family was there too…Dr. Ben Philpot. You’ve seen his name on this blog, and have seen his face in many pictures. He is the man that is working extremely hard to find a cure for our sweet Logan, and I would not be surprised if that day comes soon. He is brilliant, kind, and truly cares about what he is doing. Logan adores him, as do we.

Anyway, Sharon talked about Klimb4KIds, and Rob talked about why he chose us. Rob is the only one we have met up until that day, and there was not a dry eye in the building. These people have hearts of gold, and have surely chosen the right profession. They care so much! I mean, they even baked a table of treats for us! It was awesome.

They then rolled out the bike, and Logan lit up! Out came a beautiful purple bike (her favorite color!) with pretty bows and a mermaid balloon (another favorite!). It was perfect. Logan hopped on, was fitted, and she was ready to go! Logan will often shut down in large groups of strangers, and it usually takes her a bit to warm up. It took no time here! She was smiling, getting giddy and had SO much fun testing out her new ride. It was a day we will never forget, and will always be grateful for.

She did not want to get off of this bike! She rode down the hall, into the elevator, and cruised to the car…all with a smile. You could see the excitement, confidence and freedom in her face. She now can participate without feeling controlled or limited. This is a complete game changer for our crew!!!

That weekend we rode down to Rob’s house to show him how much she loved it. Rob and his wife, Ann Marie came out, and Rob said it was the first time he has seen her smile and laugh for that long. It may have been the first time for me as well.

Thank you Rob, ATI and Klimb4Kids. You have changed our lives, and have made Logan the coolest kid in the hood. We will be lifelong supporters of everything you do!

AND…we can now officially train for next year’s Million Dollar Bike Ride! At the rate she is going, I’ll need to invest in some cool roller skates to keep up 😉