Teenager paralyzed by deadly tornado needs upgraded wheelchair
By Kolby Terrell
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CLEVELAND COUNTY, Oklahoma (KOCO) — A teenager from Little Axe, who was paralyzed in a deadly tornado in 2010, is hoping to get an upgraded wheelchair.
Thirteen years ago, Ethan Rider was paralyzed after a tornado destroyed his home. His mother, Tammy Rider, was killed in the storm that same night.
“On May 10, 2010, when we had the huge tornado outbreak, they were in their home in Little Axe and a tornado touched down,” said Jennifer Duncan, who was Tammy’s best friend. “Tammy lost her life. Her little girl Reagan ended up in a full-body cast. Jason had a traumatic brain injury; that’s her oldest. And Ethan lost all of his feeling from his waist down,” said Duncan.
To this day, family and friends are still devastated by what the tornado took from them. Focusing on what they can still do to help, loved ones hope to get 16-year-old Ethan a new wheelchair.
“We would just love to be able to give this to Ethan, that he can grow through life and go to college and be on whatever he wants to do in his adult life,” said Duncan.
A newer wheelchair would help Ethan experience more things, like hunting and fishing. The idea is something he is excited about.
“I want the one that’s electric where I can go places where my chair can’t get to, like closer to the water and stuff where I can actually fish better,” said Ethan.
Not having a more advanced wheelchair has stopped him from doing some things he enjoys, like participating in a school fishing trip.
“I couldn’t go because the place where my chair was wheelchair accessible there was one pond, and everyone else was going to the other ponds,” said Ethan.
Ethan said a wheelchair with treads would help him do more of these things.
“It got tracks and mine don’t, and it pops curbs easier than the one that I’m in right now,” said Ethan about the wheelchair he hopes to get.
His wish is in the hands and hearts of the community.
“We just desperately wish that people could help us out and help him get that dream that he’s been wanting so bad,” said Duncan.
They are hoping to raise $17,000 to be able to get the new chair. A GoFundMe was created to do just that.
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