Utah teens surprise neighbor with special needs with scooter for birthday

KAYSVILLE — A dozen recent graduates from Davis High School pooled their cash to surprise a popular neighborhood man with special needs with a brand new scooter for his 25th birthday.

Ty Burningham’s mother told KSL he’s like the Mayor of Davis County, always on the move and meeting new people.

The teens said they love watching Burningham scooting around the neighborhood, and they wanted to help him get around a bit faster.

“He’s just so friendly to everyone," said Maddie Weger. “Like my mom met him in Bowman’s once and he came over and talked to her for, like, 30 minutes.”

Hunter Garrett called Burningham’s smile infectious.

“He’s got that personality where it’s like, you see him, you just can’t not smile, you know?” Garrett said. “He just lights up a room everywhere he is.”

After hearing that his birthday was coming up on July 4, and noticing his scooter was showing its age, Raef Thomas said he and his friends had an idea.

“You know, just all of us combined, we just pitched in $10,” Thomas said. “It’s not that big, but Ty, we just love him.”

Their little pool of cash was enough to buy a little more juice for Burningham to get around.

“Awe, Sweet!” he said, as the teens unveiled his new electric two-wheeler.

Quaid Rasmussen said Burningham took off once they showed him how it works.

“We turned it on for him and he zipped up the street,” Rassmussen said. “We were worried he wasn’t going to come back!”

Jason Seeley noticed, “He said ‘sweet’ a lot. He kept saying ‘sweet.’”

Burningham pointed out one reason why it was so sweet saying, “Because this scooter goes so fast!”

He’s still learning that the electric motor will get him scooting and that he doesn’t have to push so much, but he’ll get there.

KSL tried to talk with his mother for the story, but she said she wanted to keep the focus on those wonderful teens.

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