Bears present special wheelchair to Cooper Roberts, boy shot in Highland Park mass shooting
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (CBS) -- Cooper Roberts, the 8-year-old boy who survived being shot in the Highland Park July 4th parade mass shooting last year, has received a big surprise from the Chicago Bears.
Cooper was left paralyzed from the waist down in the shooting. During practice at Halas Hall on Wednesday, the Bears presented Cooper with a special wheelchair – specifically designed to go through the sand so he can visit the beach.
Since being paralyzed from the waist down in the Highland Park shooting last year, 8-year-old Cooper has been unable to do his favorite activity: going to the beach
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) June 1, 2023
Today at practice, we had a special surprise for him 💙 pic.twitter.com/iTBgMpHjUB
Cooper even got a push around in the wheelchair from Bears quarterback Justin Fields.
Cooper's mother, Keely Roberts, said in a Bears news release that her son was thrilled on the ride home.
"Every time we tried to talk about it, he would start to laugh, and he would start to tear up," she said in the release. "He would say, 'Mom, I have my own beach wheelchair and the Bears gave it to me!' I was like, 'I know, buddy.' He'd say, 'Did you see Justin pushing me? Did you get pictures? I can't wait to tell my friends. I'm going to tell all my friends about it.'"
Right now, Cooper is attending school as much as posily while still undergoing rehabilitation at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. He hopes to walk again someday.