Texas Community Rallies to Give Paralyzed Teen a New Wheelchair

A Texas community showed the world just how big their heart is when they rallied together to buy a paralyzed teen an off-road wheelchair!

13-year-old Cason Snider got a very heartwarming surprise when his community in Nacogdoches, Texas gathered at their Expo Center to present him with a brand new off-road wheelchair- making it easier for the teen to get around! Snider's mom, Terri Snider, described how difficult it has been for Cason to get around to KTRE saying:

There’s been instances where there’s a big hill and he just can’t go up it and when he was little, we could’ve carried him but he’s getting bigger.

The chair was made possible thanks to Korey Kahler, president of the Nacogdoches Law Enforcement Foundation, who started fundraising after hearing about Cason from his dad, Chris, a local police officer. Cason has been paralyzed from the waist down since a car accident when he was five, but this new Terrain Hopper chair means he'll be able to go hunting, hiking, and exploring rugged terrain.

According to KTRE, the Charles and Lois Marie Bright Foundation funded the wheelchair, valued at over $18,000, while other groups provided additional gifts. But that wasn't it, Cason also got a lifetime hunting and fishing license from the Texas Game Warden Association, hunting trips donated by the JMB Fishing Foundation and AWOL NWTF, a Beretta shotgun, Federal Duck Stamps, a $300 gift card, and a cargo trailer donated by several local organizations.

Cason’s mom, Terri, shared how grateful she was for all the community support, saying the wheelchair gives her son a chance to experience the outdoors alongside other kids. Kahler says they're already planning free hunting trips so Cason can fully enjoy all his new gear.