For Colin, 17, being in the water is one of the only times he feels both a sense of freedom and truly relaxed.
“Colin has one of the most severe forms of muscular dystrophy,” said his mom, Summer. “When he’s in the water he’s able to move and kick his arms and legs which is something he can’t do in his wheelchair normally and he’s able to relax and just have fun.”
But as Colin gets older and larger, his family has struggled to support his body while swimming. This is stressful for not only his family, but also for Colin who can’t feel the calm that makes swimming so enjoyable.
“We’ve tried to hold him up and use different floaties in the pool, but we weren’t able to keep his ears above the water with the resources we had available,” said his mom, Summer.
When Colin’s nurse nominated him for a wish, his mom was thrilled about the possibilities.
“We decided that a wish involving swimming is the best thing for him because he enjoys it so much,” she said.
Colin’s wish for a special pool float designed around his needs now gives him the ability to swim independently.
In addition, his wish also includes one year of private swim lessons at JR’s Swim School so Colin can enjoy his favorite activity more often after the pandemic put it on hold.
“It means the world to him after not being able to get in the pool as much last year with COVID and everything being closed,” his mom continued. “Our goal for him is to decompress a little bit and feel that calmness and weightlessness of being in the water, and his new float supports him in a safe way so he can relax his entire body.”
"Having this wish to look forward to for the next year is going to be a dream come true for Colin and us as well. We’re really excited and so grateful for this opportunity." Summer, Colin's mom
