How One Dad Won The Internet By Taking Wheelchair-Bound Son To The Skate Park

Many young boys have fond memories of their fathers teaching them how to throw a ball, ride a bike, or swing a bat. But when Philip Van Hise’s son was born premature, he was probably worried he might never be able to create those memories with his boy.

Callen was born with hypotonic cerebral palsy over five years ago. The rare form of the disorder is marked by less muscle tone, resulting in “floppy” muscles that are impossible to control. Callen also has poor posture, which can affect breathing and swallowing and causes difficulty with speaking.

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Even through the challenges, Callen has been able to live a happy life with his parents and is currently going through speech therapy.

“He can communicate well,” Philip told News Channel 4. “He can read like crazy. He’s at the top of his class in Kindergarten.”

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In fact, Callen’s ability to communicate has recently led him to ask his mom and dad for one special request: a visit to the skate park. Being the amazing parents that Paula and Philip are, they decided to take Callen for his own unique ride at the West Valley City Skate Park.

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In a video that Paula posted on Facebook, Philip can be seen pushing Callen around the skate ramps in his wheelchair. Up and down and around they go as Callen wears a huge smile on his face.

“His reaction is what’s worth it,” Philip said. “I don’t care if I’m about ready to die or have exhaustion from that. His joy is what matters.”

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Meanwhile, the reaction that Philip and Paula received from the thousands of people who watched their video was huge.

One woman in California shared that she hopes to convince her community to build an “all-abilities” playground by sharing the family’s video with them.

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Paula and Philip focus on raising Callen with as much inclusion as possible. He may have been born with challenges and muscles that don’t work the same as someone without cerebral palsy, but that doesn’t have to keep him from doing the activities that interest him.

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Philip said that he will take Callen back to the skate park “every day if I have to,” and we don’t doubt that he will stick to those words completely. We’re sure they’ll make many more father-son memories at the park in the coming years.

Watch the video below for the Van Hise family’s sweet trip to the skate park and share this story to spread some smiles!