Community raises money for new special hiking chair stolen from 8-year-old with cerebral palsy
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REXBURG — A GoFundMe raised double the amount of money for a new special outdoor mobility chair that allows a little girl with cerebral palsy to spend time with her family. The original chair was stolen.
“We’re feeling so thankful and so blessed that people are so kind and giving,” said Heather Goodsell.
Heather, her husband Jonathan, and three children live in Rexburg. Their daughter, Hailey, 8, is quadriplegic and has been wheelchair bound her whole life.
The Goodsell family loves to spend time outdoors. They had a “Huckleberry Hiking” chair for Hailey so she could easily be included on outdoor adventures like hiking and camping. The chair allows individuals with mobility challenges to experience rugged terrain.
The chair was stolen back in March out of their storage unit. Click here to read more. It was reported to the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, but the chair was never recovered.
“The way that this impacts Hailey is that she just can’t go with us to things anymore. Which I don’t think is fair because she likes to go on the hikes,” Heather said in a previous interview.
Heather’s friend created a GoFundMe to raise money for a new chair for Hailey. The GoFundMe had a $2,500 goal and raised $4,305.
“I was blown away at the love that people showed for someone they didn’t even know. We feel thankful and so blessed that we live in such a wonderful community. I’m overjoyed that we get to have a huckleberry (chair) again, and that we get to include our child,” Heather said.
The Goodsell family recently purchased a new huckleberry hiking chair for their summer adventures from the funds raised. They took it out for the first time last weekend and went to Beaver Dick Park in Madison County.
“We just grabbed our kids and our dogs, and we went out, and we hiked. It was a blast. Hailey loves it,” Heather said. “She sits in it (the huckleberry chair), and she just hums and sings. Her brothers love being able to have her with us. It’s great,” Heather said.
The leftover money from the GoFundMe was used to benefit Hailey. Heather said they purchased ramps for their home so it’s easier for Hailey to get in and out with her wheelchair.
“Before we bought the ramps, in order to get her out of our house, my husband would put her in the chair, and then he would lift her and the chair up and then down the steps and then get her to the car or to the bus or wherever she needed to go,” Heather said.
Now, it’s a lot easier. And a little humorous too because Hailey knows the ramps are there.
“She’s funny…when we were getting ready to go camping, she was really antsy to leave, and my boys had left the door open, and she knew she could just go right down those ramps, and we had to stop her!” Heather laughed. “She is a strong-willed and determined child.”
Heather said she and her family are hoping to take out the huckleberry hiking chair again this upcoming weekend with Hailey and the kids to Cress Creek in Rexburg. They additionally want to take it to Jenny Lake at Grand Teton National Park.
“We just want to go out and explore and take advantage of having it and enjoying our summer,” she said.
