RIVERTON, Utah -- Parker Allen was born with half a heart. When he was just five days old, he had his first of several surgeries. During an open-heart surgery Parker suffered a stroke that left him partially paralyzed.
Parker is now in the first grade at Midas Creek Elementary School, and when his classmates realized he would never ride a bike like they could, because of his disability, they decided to raise money to have a special one made.
"He hasn't been able to ride a bike like a normal kid,” Parker’s mother, Sheila Allen, said. “He always says he wants to ride a bike. That's all he ever wanted to do.”
And thanks to Parker's classmates, they hosted a fundraiser to get Parker a specialized bike. The school raised $2,800, making his dream of riding a bike finally come true.
"I didn't think we were going to raise that much money,” Parker’s father, Jordan Allen, said. “We actually shot above the goal we were going for.”
Today, at a small assembly, Parker and his family thanked the school and Parker showed all his friends how he can ride his special bike.
"I showed all my friends because my friends, because my friends got me tons of dollars and it was so much fun and I got it,” Parker said.
Parker's parents are beyond grateful to see him cruising around.
"It's a beautiful thing for him to be normal, for him to be that little boy,” Sheila Parker said. “Whether we're riding the bike to the hospital or to the park he is being normal in that time.”
It's something that without the school's help, Parker would have never gotten to do.
"It's crazy how much these bikes are, and that he was able to get one, and that the school helped, and we are so thankful for that because we never would have been able to afford one,” Jordan Allen said.
Parker said he loves riding on his bike, and he said the best part is: "I go super, duper fast!"
