Minn. Boy With Cerebral Palsy Gets 'Life-Changing' Bike For Christmas
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Christmas came early for a 6-year-old boy with special needs.
Noah Becks has cerebral palsy, and through the generosity of some local nonprofits he was given his first bicycle on Thursday.
The adaptive bike will not only provide hours of fun for Noah, but it will also help him develop the muscle strength needed to walk on his own.
"It's definitely life-changing," said Mara Becks, Noah's mother. "This will mean so much for him to be able to use a bike on his own."
Noah can walk while holding someone's hand, but he's afraid to walk on his own.
"But with the bike he will be able to self-propel himself wherever he wants to go," his mother said.
The bike offers independence for Noah, who needs help doing just about everything. It will also help him develop and hopefully lead to him doing other things on his own.
"This is so huge for us," Mara Becks said. "We would have never afforded this on our own."
The Becks got help from Variety -- The Children's Charity.
Variety worked with community partners to help pay for the bike, which retails for about $1,800.
Theaters across Minnesota, like Marcus Oakdale Cinema, sold Gold Heart Pins to fund the adaptive bike.
Penn Cycles in Woodbury donated their expertise to customize it for Noah.
"We changed the frame around a little bit just to be...more versatile as he grows," said Adam Brooke of Penn Cycle.
All the generosity creates a new beginning for Noah, a kid now ready to take on the world.
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Variety does not have a chapter in Minnesota, but they do operate in Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin chapter helped get Noah the bike, all the money raised in Minnesota is used for children in need in our state.
