Heartwarming footage of a young boy with Spina Bifida bouncing gleefully on a trampoline has been shared widely across social media. Wyatt Burggraff, 4, was filmed at a gym for children with special needs being accompanied onto trampoline by a trainer in what has become a viral moment.
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Initially hesitant due to the physical effects of his condition, Burggraff quickly got into the flow of things and had an absolute blast bouncing high into the air at TNT, a Fargo, North Dakota-based gym for children with serious disabilities.
Despite getting some serious air-time, at one point Wyatt can be heard shouting “faster!” — what an awesome little dude!
https://www.facebook.com/TNTKidsFitness/videos/2070973466322124/
“They’re very well-trained and Wyatt has a ball,” Wyatt’s mother, Allison Burggraff, told Good Morning America of the inspiring facility.
“Every day we get to see these amazing men and women work with kids with special needs and really they’re able to tap into the potential that their parents didn’t even know they had,” the mom added to WTVD-TV.
https://www.facebook.com/TNTKidsFitness/photos/a.371428716222296/2326585240706624/?type=3
Allison noted that the gym’s staff encourage her son “with affirming words,” when he is struggling with his health.
“They tell him he is strong, brave and courageous,” she said. “When Wyatt has gone through medical issues — getting an IV or MRI we can say to and draw on that experience and say ‘you can do hard things.'”
What is Spina Bifida?
Spina Bifida is a condition that results in an undeveloped spine and neural tube. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the condition can cause “physical and intellectual disabilities that range from mild to severe.” Common symptoms of Spinda Bifida include weakness or paralysis in the legs, a lack of sensation in the skin and even brain damage.
Many people have responded to the video of Wyatt, which has been shared almost 100,000 times and garnered 6.5 million views.
“I know the coach in the picture and he is great!!” one person wrote. “My daughter goes to daycare in the TNT building, and all the staff within the building are amazing!!”
“My 4 yr old grandson is in a wheelchair and this kind of place would be amazing for him,” another added. “Our special kiddos just want to have fun and be included.”
Tim Frie, the man who filmed the original video and is the communications specialist at TNT, wrote on Facebook that it was “just an idea of what happens at TNT every single day!”
“We see this type of thing often, and whoever the child is in the wheelchair that is jumping always has the same reaction. They just want more. Wyatt specifically is always such a happy and smiling kid whenever he visits TNT, so that joy on his face is him just being himself,” Frie said, according to People magazine.
“I think one of the things that was the biggest take away was the reaction of the other people in the gym who were seeing this for the first time,” he said. “So many people were blown away and had no idea the extent of the services we offer.”