Several Prince George groups organizations are coming together to help a local young man recover from an accident that left him paralyzed.
Exploration Place, along with the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation and the Metis Housing Society are holding a fundraising dinner on Friday, February 6th to raise money for Trent Seymour, a 17 year old who suffered a serious spinal injury in September while hunting.
Tracey Calogheros is CEO of Exploration Place and says they want to help his transition back home from Vancouver Hospital.
“Part of that is being able to maintain his independence and get around,” she says. “We tracked down this ‘Action Track Chair’ that operates kind of like a tank. Trent has grown up on reserve and will continue to live on the Shelley Reserve. This chair will continue to allow him to do all of the outdoor activities that he has always been involved in.”
Calogheros says this wheelchair is special … because it doesn’t have wheels. “It has actual tracks that run on a triangular shape on the outside, so it’s really an all-terrain vehicle,” she says. “It’s also got this neat added feature that can support him in a standing position, so if he wants to fish and land a salmon, he can do that.”
The specialized wheelchair could cost between $17 to $25,000 according to Calogheros and she says their goal is to raise around $20,000.
Calogheros says Seymour’s story really hit close to home for Exploration Place, “The museum is all about community,” she says. “Trent has been connected to various individuals at the museum. His dad Barry has been on the museum board off-and-on for the last 20 years and what happened to Trent was a horrible tragedy.”
The dinner is scheduled for Friday February 6th at the Treasure Cove Casino.
(Photo from Trent Seymour’s Facebook)
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