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"Mason's Mission" for a special needs playground

Play is a fundamental part of childhood but for kids with disabilities, physical play can be hard to do. The parents of two special needs kids in Western New York have set out to change that with a playground where anyone can play. 

For Jennifer and Jason Evchich, daily life comes with some extra challenges.

Two of their three kids have an undiagnosed leukodystrophy that limits their brain and muscle development.

Three-year-old Mason and two-year-old Matthew cannot walk, sit, crawl or speak.

That means playing at the typical playground, like the one just around the corner from their Pendleton home, is out of the question.

And if they wanted to go to a wheelchair accessible playground? They said there is not one within a 50 mile radius of their home.

"You know what, it's hard," Jennifer said. "It's hard. It's getting easier but it's hard. It's really tough."

But last year, the couple decided to do something about it. They decided to build one.

They began drawing plans and fundraising for an all-inclusive, ADA complaint playground where children, with or without special needs are welcome to play.

"That is the mission," Jason explained, "To have these little guys, three years old, two years old, four years old, playing on these rides together so as they grow, we instill a quality in them that they don't see the imperfections in people, they see the perfection."

The park will feature wheelchair accessible rides like the we-saw, a roller slide, a sway-fun glider that you can roll a wheelchair right onto and oodle swings for kids that cannot sit up.

The Evchich's said that ever since they started this project, they have realized they are not alone in this. They hope that once the playground is built, they can pass that support on to others.

"We know how confusing it can be," Jason said. "We know how heartbroken they are and we know how financially they're hurting. As time goes on, let's meet at the playground. Let's get our kids together. Let's have them talk and then we'll go from there."

The park is estimated to cost just shy of $500,000 and they have already raised about half of their goal.

They are hoping to begin work on it once the weather breaks in the spring so it is ready to go by the boys' birthdays in May and June.

If you would like to learn more, visit their Facebook page.

If you would like to help out, you can donate here.

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