When Terry and Kenneth Parker of Durham, North Carolina found out that their daughter would be born with spina bifida, they were shocked but determined to care for her as best they could.
Kenydii Parker was born with the condition, in which an infant’s spinal chord does not develop properly in utero, but she’s never let being confined to a wheelchair get her down. At four years old, the girl is seldom seen without a big smile on her face. Her parents say she’s been a force of love in the world since the moment she was born.
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Kenydii has struggled with mobility for her entire life, but ever since she could talk she has been adamant that someday she’d learn to walk and leave her wheelchair behind.
“Kenydii has the kind of spirit where she’s gonna do what she wants to do,” said Kenneth. “She said just about every day that she’s gonna walk, no matter what. She said, ‘Dad, I’m gonna walk! Dad, I wanna walk!’ Even when she had the cast on her leg … she’d jump off the couch. She’s got that determination in her. She never gives up.â€
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On February 25th 2019, Kenydii succeeded in her ambition to walk on her own two feet. The little girl was in physical therapy using her walker outside the W.G. Pearson Elementary School when a group of classmates spotted her, hard at work. Incredibly the children started chanting their friend’s name, encouraging her to walk!
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“Kenydii! Kenydii! Kenydii!” the children chanted as Kenydii began to put one foot in front of the other. Her aunt Yvette Parker was there to capture the moment that her niece had been dreaming of since she was a toddler, and the resulting video is sheer joy.
“A class came outside and saw her walking and they started rooting her on!”said Yvette, whose own voice can be heard saying, “Yay, girl! Look at you go! They’re cheering for you!â€
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“I was shocked! I couldn’t believe she actually was walking and the smile on her face was breathtaking,”Yvette said. “She is always a happy little girl but that day her smile made me cry because all she ever wanted was to walk.â€
Kenydii’s parents could not believe their eyes when they saw the video of their baby girl taking her first-ever steps. “The first time I saw the video, I was at work,”Kenneth said. “It broke me down because everyone was cheering her on. Seeing her accomplish her main goal was a beautiful thing.â€
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“She’s very talkative, she’s a character, she has a great sense of humor. She’s just the best. She loves to sing and dance. She’s always dancing. She loves music, that’s one of her favorite things.â€
We’re sure that the next time we see Kenydii, she’ll be dancing! This is one determined little girl who refuses to listen to anyone who tells her she can’t do something. Like her classmates, we’ll be rooting for her as she grows into the beautiful person she’s destined to be.
Watch Kenydii taking her first steps in the video below and be sure to share!
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