The Backpack

[308 words] Maggie Vasquez, who has cerebral palsy, wasn’t going to get to go on the annual school camping trip as her wheelchair and walker wouldn’t work on the rugged terrain of the forest where the group would be hiking. One of Maggie’s teachers, Helma Wardenaar, was determined that the ten-year-old would go on the trip with the other students. Miss Wardenaar set out on a quest to find the best method which would enable Maggie to be a part of the camping experience. After consulting several people about possible solutions to the conundrum, it was decided that Maggie would be carried on Helma Wardenaar’s back in a specialized backpack with a fold-out seat. Although the teacher works out every day, it was still a challenge to carry her student on her back for at least four hours a day throughout the weekend. Though exhausted, Wardenaar stated that she was…