• The Adventures Continue
    The Adventures Continue Sit back, relax and enjoy Dylan's Amazing Adventures blog.

Every once and awhile a story comes along that tugs at the ole’ heart strings. These stories are disguised blessings, teaching us who we are, what we can achieve and, for a moment, make us feel like we can change the world ...

Dylan's Winter | Winter the Dolphin | Cleawater Marine Aquarium

Living in Clearwater, Florida is pure paradise; Tons of sunshine, beautiful swaying palm trees and white sandy beaches. During our day-to-day lives we enjoy cool summer breezes, great local activities and peace, but sometimes we loose touch with other events that happen with-in our own backyard. One such event was the  wonderful recovery and miracle of Winter the dolphin .

For those of you who don’t know the story, Winter the dolphin was found washed up on the beach and dying because she was tangled in fisherman’s crab trap rope. After being rescued and transported to the Clearwater Marine Hospital she was treated for her injuries and soon began her long remarkable recovery back to health. Although the rescue saved her life, she continued to experience many setbacks, including the removal of her tail. All of this would eventually push her to overcome insurmountable odds.

As we all know, with no tail and no way to swim (other than splashing side to side) dolphins can’t survive. As the Clearwater Marine Hospital team continued to look for answers, one of the members reached out to a local prosthesis engineer (at the VA hospital). After many unsuccessful attempts she was fitted with a new mechanical tale which allowed her to swim (and prove everyone wrong that a dolphin could survive AND swim with this type of condition).

Dylan's Winter | Winter the Dolphin | Cleawater Marine Aquarium Last night, I took Dylan (and his twin brother Ryan) to see the movie “Dolphin Tale”; an amazing true story of hope, friendship and love. A couple of months back the twins and I had the wonderful opportunity to see Winter the dolphin in person (at the Clearwater Marine Center). Having the chance for Dylan to be that close to her and experience her generous heart was incredible and breathtaking (at the same time).

As we watched the movie it was hard not to think about our previous visit, the scenes and story instantly reached out to us in ways that made our eyes water. Knowing that Dylan experienced the same emotions being emulated on the screen was, at times tough to handle. The remarkable love, care and affection Winter continues to show individuals with disabilities is mind boggling. It’s almost as if she knows and understands the difficulty of others with disabilities and wants to prove that anything is possible!

I left the movie wiping tears from my eyes while looking at my son Dylan, knowing deep down, that he has the same fortitude, love and desire to be whoever he wants to be in life and the will to succeed.

I know (and tell myself) that I can’t teach him these emotions, I can’t instill the desire, the passion or drive that we just witnessed on the big screen, but what I do know is that one brave dolphin can inspire the will and love in all of us, and tonight it did just that! I opened this story by saying that we are fortunate to live in this community of Clearwater and it just so happens we share it with an unbelievable dolphin named Winter.

Click here for the Official Winter the dolphin website

 

Supportcp.org Supporters

Shriners Hospitals for Children

Shriners Hospitals for Children
Through innovative pediatric specialty care, world-class research and outstanding medical education. Our 22 locations in the United States, Canada and Mexico provide advanced care for children with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate. Shriners Hospitals for Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and relies on the generosity of donors. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Vitals:
+ w: Shriners Hospitals for Children
+ p: 800-237-5055

All Children's Hospital

All Children's Hospital
All Children's Hospital provides expert pediatric care for children and families from all across the state of Florida and beyond. Named a top 50 children's hospital by U.S. News & World Report, we provide compassionate, state-of-the-art care for infants, children and teens with some of the most challenging medical problems.

Vitals:
+ w: All Children's Hospital
+ p: 800-456-4543

St. Louis Children's Hospital

St. Louis Children's Hospital
Founded in 1879, St. Louis Children's Hospital is one of the premier children's hospitals in the United States. It serves not just the children of St. Louis, but children across the world. The hospital provides a full range of pediatric services to the St. Louis metropolitan area and a primary service region covering six states.

Vitals:
+ w: st. louis children's hospital
+ p: 314.454.6000

MUSC Children's Hospital

MUSC Children's Hospital
An integral part of the Medical University of South Carolina, the MUSC Children's Hospital is dedicated to enhancing the health of children throughout South Carolina, and to providing an environment that supports excellence in pediatric patient care, teaching and research.

Vitals:
+ w: MUSC Children's Hospital
+ p: 843-792-1414

The Family Cafe

The Family Cafe
The Family Café began in 1998 as an attempt to meet an urgent need among persons with disabilities and their families: the need for information. To meet that need, The Family Café created an annual conference that would serve as a clearinghouse of information. The conference would provide a unique environment, where families could connect with peers, commercial service providers, and public entities to find out what services were available to them, which best met their needs, and how to go about securing those services.

Vitals:
+ w: The Family Cafe
+ p: (850) 224-4670

Cerebral Palsy In The News

“Who I Am” PSA

United Cerebral Palsy is proud to partner with The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment to launch a new public service announcement as part of the Campaign...
Read More...

The Case for Inclusion: 2015

Medicaid affects all of us: children and adults with disabilities, as we age, as our family ages, and when the unexpected happens. UCP’s annual report, The Case for Inclusion,...
Read More...

Disability Etiquette

The way a society refers to persons with disabilities shapes its beliefs and ideas about them. Using appropriate terms can foster positive attitudes about persons with disabilities....
Read More...

Join the UCP Network

Organizations in the UCP Affiliate network range from a budget size of $125,000 to $100 million and provide a wide range of services.

For those considering becoming...
Read More...