A new beach wheelchair is now available at Innisfil Beach Park.
Unveiled at a ceremony on Saturday, it's called "Sierra's Chair" in memory of Sierra MacLellan, a young Innisfil resident who died unexpectedly on August 13, 2020. Sierra was born with hydrocephalus, which limited her mobility. She also had vision impairment and did not have any speech.
"Some of our best memories are of our vacations spent at the beach," the family said in a statement emailed to Barrie 360 by the Town of Innisfil. "Ty (Sierra's younger brother) and Sierra loved the water and the sand."
One of the challenges the family encountered was Sierra's wheelchair was not designed to go in the sand and water.
"At times we had to improvise in order for her to be part of our family adventures," the family stated. "As you can imagine Sierra relied on her other senses. Touch, tactile and sensory were very important for her. So to listen to the waves crash, feel the wind on her face, touch the sand with her toes, and feel the water around her was an important experience for her to have."
The MacLellan family says they are extremely honoured to be part of the new and amazing addition to Innisfil Beach Park.
"The Mobi-Chair will provide accessibility to those who need it. Knowing that families can now enjoy the beach with easier accessibility with the Mobi-Chair is very exciting."
The family says Sierra was well-loved by many people in her community, including people in her school, childcare, friends, and of course her family.
"We want to say thank you to town council and the beach committee for including our family. Sierra would have loved this new addition to the beach," the family said.
Banner image - supplied -Town of Innisfil
