Nathan Chaulk is a thirteen year old boy with cerebral palsy. He wrote this essay for his Grade 7 English class. Each student was asked to write about a turning point in their lives, and Nathan chose to write about his 'Dream'. Nathan dictated his essay into an app on his iPad, and his mother typed it for him. His Mom says, "It is amazing to watch him formulate such wonderful ideas and then use technology to assist him. This truly was an amazing day. We are forever changed by our experience with the Sunshine Foundation and the generous volunteers that made Nathan's dream come true."
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Turning Point Essay
by: Nathan Chaulk
My turning point was when I
received a heated swimming pool as my dream through the Sunshine Foundation of
Canada. At first, the Sunshine
Foundation did not know if my dream would be possible because it was too expensive. The pool, the heater, the decking and the
ramp cost more than the foundation could cover.
My family and I were very doubtful that the pool dream would be
possible. My Dad encouraged me to think
of other ideas. However, before I knew
it, word spread throughout my community and volunteers came forward to help
make my dream a reality.
My dream was made possible
because of many volunteers. One of the
volunteers was an actual carpenter and he led the group of men to build the
deck and ramp. The Sunshine Foundation
agreed to provide for the pool and the heater and my parents provided the
wood. The group of volunteers built the
deck. They made the deck big enough for
my power wheelchair. The pool is 18 feet
in diameter and it is 4 feet deep.
The company that installed the
pool dropped off water vats to my house one evening. That made it seem very real. I was so excited that I was jumping up and
down in my chair. The cost of filling
the entire pool was $2000.00. Once the
word spread about this extra cost, the local fire department came to the
rescue. They filled my pool by using the
pumper truck. As they volunteered to
fill the pool they were getting some training in how to hook up the hoses to
the fire hydrants. Also, the police
department donated the wood for the ramp.
In one day a group of volunteers came together to make my dream a
reality. They built the deck and filled
the pool on Saturday and then they built the ramp on Sunday.
Through this experience I have
made many new friends. The volunteers
who came together that weekend are now a special part of my life. We love to get together with them. For example, my family organized a Christmas
party for all the people who helped with my dream. This special group of people is now a very
important part of my life.
I love to swim. I feel so free when I am in the water. I can walk and move freely. I am also a very good swimmer. The coach from the Paralympic swim team saw
me swimming this year and she thinks that I have the potential to go to the
Canada Games as a swimmer. My pool will
allow me to practice my skills while I have fun.
In conclusion, my turning point
was about more than a pool, it was about the kindness of others towards
me.
*****
Thank you, Nathan for writing this essay and thank you for your willingness to share. There is certainly a lot we can all learn from your experience. From the gift of kindness that you received, to the true sense of community that was created around you, it is a wonderful story and a beautiful message.
I hope that you enjoy your pool, and that many happy memories are made there!
-Julie
* The Sunshine Foundation is a national Canadian charity that provides
individual dreams to children with severe physical disabilities as well as life-threatening
illnesses. The positive impact that they have on the lives of these children and their families is immeasurable.
In a word, they are awesome. Seriously, awesome.
That's amazing, what a wonderful thing to read.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Katie! I was so happy to be able to share Nathan's story.
DeletePlease continue to follow my blog for more inspiring stories like this one!