Teen with cerebral palsy completes 16-mile Narrows hike

Teen with cerebral palsy completes 16-mile Narrows hike


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ZION NATIONAL PARK — A Florida teenager with cerebral palsy finished hiking the Narrows with her father in late May as part of an effort to bring awareness to the possibilities for people with special needs.

When Kellisa Kain, 14, was born in Jacksonville, Fla., doctors told her parents that her chance of survival was low, according to thespectrum.com. Kellisa was a twin born to Lisa and Chris Kain, and both she and her sister, Kirsten, were 15 weeks premature.

Kirsten was said to be the healthiest of the twins, but she died within 24 hours of her birth. Kellisa survived, but had a congenital heart defect, hydrocephalus, epilepsy, and cerebral palsy among other health problems.

Chris blogged about his daughter's health trials including her surgery at two weeks old, and her next surgery two months later. Kellisa is currently wheelchair bound, but Chris said that despite her difficult life, he wanted to give her a life that she would enjoy.

"She was about four or five, and she was in the wheelchair when we went on a hike, and she loved it," Chris said to The Spectrum. "She started out very fragile. Noises scared her and bumps scared her. She really started enjoying traveling, so we just slowly have progressed over the years."


I just wanted her to experience it like everyone else. She loves it, and I see it as she's doing (the hike). I just happen to be her arms and legs.

–Chris Kain


Chris and Kellisa went on their first trip to northern Georgia where they hiked in a state park. He said he pushed his daughter's wheelchair on the trail, and that she loved it,

"I just wanted to get her to the viewpoint that everyone else was getting to, and I wanted her to see what everybody else was seeing," Chris said. "I just wanted her to experience it like everyone else. She loves it, and I see it as she's doing (the hike). I just happen to be her arms and legs."

Chris said that his daughter's cries for "more" motivated them to go on more difficult hikes, eventually prompting them to hike the Narrows in Zion National Park.

"I try to call (the parks) in advance," Chris said. "I called and talked to the chief ranger (at Zion) before we came out. I told the ranger we would have an experienced hiker (with us), and that made her feel better, so she was able to give us the permit."

Kellisa, Chris and his cousin, Matt Buckingham, traveled from Florida to hike the Narrows. The men pulled Kellisa on a small, one person raft down the river in the Narrows.

"It was a lot more difficult than we ever imagined," Chris said. "We knew it would be hard, but they actually told us the flow of the river was low today. We were pulling her against the current in the beginning."

The group finished the hike by Sunday evening, just a few days after Kellisa's 14th birthday.

Chris said their goal is to complete at least one hike in all 50 states before the end of March 2014 to raise awareness that individuals with disabilities can do what some may not expect them to.

"We want to show them that they can do more than just what they're told they can do," Chris said. "Her story captures people's attention. We're hoping we could influence them even a little bit. I want them to see they can still do stuff."

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Faith Heaton Jolley

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