Many children have to contend with unwelcome additions to their appearance. Whether it is braces, a pair of glasses, or, something more serious like a wheelchair. And because this can single them out, it can have a detrimental effect on their self-esteem. One dad, however, was determined not to let his daughter's wheelchair get her down.
Seven-year-old Haylee Hauck from Thornton, Colorado, has an epileptic condition which unfortunately limits the function of her eyes and kidneys. As a result, she sometimes has to use a wheelchair to get around.
But her dad decided to transform it beyond all recognition to make a difficult situation fun:
Haylee loves nothing more than police officers, so her dad got creative and turned her wheelchair into her very own mini police car. Opening up to Ozark First about the creation, he said: "I made it so that she could have fun."
"So that, when she gets out of her wheelchair - she has an idea why she needs a wheelchair - but now it's fun."
Credit: Ozarkfirst
While it's not obvious from the picture above, Haylee's police car came complete with actual flashing lights and a siren.
The seven-year-old was so delighted with her new wheelchair that she's now dressing up as a cop herself to boot.
Credit: Ozarkfirst
And when news of Haylee's incredible wheelchair spread, it eventually reached the ears of the local police department who decided to make the seven-year-old feel even more comfortable about her disability by paying her a visit.
Her mom wrote on Facebook:
"The best part about this story was officer John Carter with the Thornton police department who took time to come and take pictures with Haylee and give her a tour of a real police car!!! That is a forever lasting memory Haylee will have and we are forever grateful for him for giving her that experience!!! The more the story gets shared, it's slowly getting cut out. But it's just about the happiest part of this story to us!!
"Officer John Carter was scheduled to be interviewed as well but something came up. He's a good man, and we appreciate him and the police so much!"
Credit: Facebook / Jessica Paul Hauck
A testament to the fact that when you use your imagination, even difficult situations can be turned into a positive!