Article content
A 32-year-old American, Kevan Chandler, faced an unenviable fate: he is confined to a wheelchair and his limbs stopped obeying him. He never imagined he would travel any farther than the nearest supermarket. In the end he made it to Europe and doesn’t intend to stop …
Journey to Europe
Read about the astonishing story of the man and his friends; we believe it will inspire you to do something you previously considered impossible.
Kevan has an incurable congenital disease
Spinal muscular atrophy. It causes progressive muscle weakness, as a result of which he gradually loses the ability to move.
Kevan says that his whole life revolved around a compromise between what he wanted to do and what he was physically able to do.
However, he never stopped dreaming and his greatest desire was to travel. Besides books, he was also inspired by his sister Connie, who was also born with muscular atrophy, but she never abandoned him and always supported him in everything.
Kevan was very lucky – three loyal friends
One day they decided to make their shared dream come true: to go on a three-week trip abroad. But how to do that, if the man moves only in a wheelchair and they don’t have enough money for the trip?
They decided to create a project called We Carry Kevan (We Carry Kevan) and promised that after they raised the necessary amount of money they would reveal a story, “that the world has not yet heard,” – to travel all over Europe, film a movie and write a book about their experiences.
You gave me a guide on how to live
People responded by raising the required $33,000 in 4 months. Many wheelchair-dependent people wrote to them: “You showed me how to look at life differently.”
They came up with the idea of a backpack for Kevan in a moment when they decided to visit the underground sewer system in Greensboro.
How they came up with the backpack
Sewer pipes are certainly not suitable for wheelchairs, so his companions simply put the man into a regular backpack and hung him on their backs.
It was comfortable and for the next trip they created a special backpack. His friends began training so that their backs could survive such a load.
I was the backpack
“On our travels I was the backpack,” jokes Kevan. Together with friends from England, Ireland and France they climbed mountains, admired beautiful scenery and took photos at the Eiffel Tower – what is completely normal for ordinary tourists seemed almost impossible for a man with a disability.
From time to time volunteers who were moved by the story joined them and took Kevan onto their shoulders so he could see as much as possible.
Where they’ll go next
Currently Kevan and his friends are planning a trip to China and have already managed to raise $20,000 (they still need $5,000).
It will not just be about sightseeing; they want to visit centers that help orphans with disabilities, give them some gifts and show that everyone can live their life to the fullest.
Kevan revealed his motto: “If you want something, find a way to do it.”
Kevan’s team of friends also plans to start producing backpacks for people with disabilities.
