By Patrice Sweeney
American couple Ryan and Lana Weimer are the founders of Magic Wheelchair, a non-profit charity that creates imaginative Halloween costumes for children in wheelchairs.
Three of the Weimer’s five children are diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a branch of Muscular Dystrophy (MD). Both conditions cause lifelong degenerative muscular weakness.
Courtes of Magic Wheelchairs
According to the NHS, more than 70,000 people in the UK are affected by MD-related disorders. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is the most common manifestation of the disease and is found predominately in males. Data from a research team at the University of Iowa cite that 1 in 5,000 boys live with Duchenne muscular dystrophy in the US.
Courtesy of Magic Wheelchairs
Ryan Weimer first started adding bespoke touches to his children’s wheelchairs in 2008 after his oldest son, Keaton, requested to go as a pirate for Halloween that year.
He recalls: "Keaton has this wheelchair he cruises around in, and every pirate needs a ship, so let's just build one around his chair.
Courtes of Magic Wheelchair
“Keaton loved it! What kid wouldn't love having a pirate ship to roll deep in, sailing through the streets, collecting Halloween booty? He even made the front page of the newspaper!”
By 2015 news about the Weimer’s creative costume solutions had spread, and they started receiving requests from families around the US. From there, Ryan and Lana founded Magic Wheelchairs. The charity’s ongoing success is also due to the assistance of volunteers who help design the bespoke costumes according to a child’s imagination.
Courtes of Magic Wheelchairs
Magic Wheelchairs is gaining traction in 11 states for themes relating to Cinderella, Batman, and fire engines. It also has teams in Canada and Chile, with goals of expanding worldwide.
