An Incredible Example Of True Friendship: The Story Of Kevan Chandler

True friendship often means making sacrifices so that we can meet the needs of the person we love. In this case, the man of friendship is told in a true story, starring 29-year-old Kevan Chandler and his friends Tom Troyer, Philip Keller, Benjamin Duvall and Luke Thompson.

When this group of American friends planned to spend their vacation in Europe, leaving Kevan out of the trip was not an option. After all, traveling the world was his dream.

Realization of dreams

Kevan Chandler is a writer suffering from spinal muscle atrophy, a painful degenerative disease that leads to muscle weakness and an inability to walk.

While this illness has taken away from her physical abilities, it has not taken away her desire to see the world and venture into new places.

Normally, Kevan moves in a wheelchair, but there are places he can’t get there. This was not a problem for his friends who decided to build a custom backpack and cushion a seat for Kevan in it. They carried Kevan’s 30-pound body alternately.

The first adventure was in 2015, when friends were planning a trip to North Carolina. Due to his injury, Kevan thought he could not participate. But his friends had other ideals: they put Kevan in his backpack and took him with him to explore the world.

The first trip was a success, so they wanted to go further. They decided to travel to Europe, a place where Kevan would see things he had never thought he could see. They visited castles, catacombs, monasteries and forests.

Overcoming obstacles to achieve dreams

Kevan’s friends believed that his muscle degeneration shouldn’t make his dreams any smaller or bigger than other people’s.

So in addition to building a carrying backpack for Kevan and planning to carry with him everything Kevan needed to survive, they put up a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe. In this way, they managed to raise the necessary amount of money to carry out their great adventure.

They also document their trip on Our Carry Kevan blog and on their Instagram account (WeCarryKevan), which features photos of all their trips.

In addition, they intend to make a documentary soon with stories of everything they have experienced.

This is what they learn from their adventures

The friends set out across Europe and saw amazing places in England, France and Ireland.

Kevan wanted to see places he wouldn’t normally get to. For 19 days, they traveled in Europe and saw beautiful landscapes, mountains, amazing cities and magical sunsets.

However, not everything was easy, as they had to physically prepare to carry Kevan’s weight, and Kevan, in turn, had to give up his independence in a wheelchair and trust his friends.

Kevan says it’s not just about him, it’s about the whole group. It is extremely important for him to get support and to know that every challenge, achievement and even failure has given him the courage to get up again.

“My family, friends and God have always been my support. This is where my strength comes from (the strength of all of us!). I hope to give them strength too, because that’s the idea of ​​the whole thing: to give courage to each other. Join in. This life is lived together. We will all become stronger and bolder together, ” Kevan ponders.

Kevan Chandler is a source of inspiration

With the help of this incredible story and beautiful friendship, Kevan Chandler aims to be a source of inspiration for other people with disabilities around the world.

He wants them to realize  that there are no impossible dreams or insurmountable obstacles.

The story of Kevan Chandler and his friends is definitely a testament to the value of friendship. It also teaches us that with perseverance, a positive attitude and willpower we can overcome all difficulties and achieve our dreams.