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| Costumes to go: Rolling out for Halloween | Costumes to go: Rolling out for Halloween |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| Halloween is big business and when you use a wheelchair you want your outfit to pack a punch when you go trick-or-treating. | Halloween is big business and when you use a wheelchair you want your outfit to pack a punch when you go trick-or-treating. |
| In America, Ryan Weimer and his wife Lana, have tapped into that market by providing children with the 3D costumes of their imaginations. | In America, Ryan Weimer and his wife Lana, have tapped into that market by providing children with the 3D costumes of their imaginations. |
| Costing between $2,000 and $4,000 each, a team of volunteers spend about 120 hours building the costumes which range from aeroplanes to dragons. | Costing between $2,000 and $4,000 each, a team of volunteers spend about 120 hours building the costumes which range from aeroplanes to dragons. |
| The Weimers, from Oregon, have five children and were inspired by three of their sons who use wheelchairs due to Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) - a degenerative disease which causes muscle weakness. | |
| Ryan Weimer says: "My first son, Keaton, was diagnosed at nine months old with SMA and this diagnosis has forever changed our family and how we do things. | Ryan Weimer says: "My first son, Keaton, was diagnosed at nine months old with SMA and this diagnosis has forever changed our family and how we do things. |
| "We have to look at life through a different set of lenses than the average man or woman." | "We have to look at life through a different set of lenses than the average man or woman." |
| Weimer first made a costume for his son in Halloween 2008 when he requested to be a pirate. | Weimer first made a costume for his son in Halloween 2008 when he requested to be a pirate. |
| He says: "I realised, Keaton has this wheelchair he cruises around in, and every pirate needs a ship, so let's just build one around his chair. | He says: "I realised, Keaton has this wheelchair he cruises around in, and every pirate needs a ship, so let's just build one around his chair. |
| "I drew out some rough plans and had to start over once or twice, but in the end we came out with a pretty awesome pirate ship for Keaton to sail around in." | "I drew out some rough plans and had to start over once or twice, but in the end we came out with a pretty awesome pirate ship for Keaton to sail around in." |
| He says every year he "can't help but cringe" at the thought of what his son might request but "it's always fun, frustrating, discouraging, occasionally painful, and expensive". | He says every year he "can't help but cringe" at the thought of what his son might request but "it's always fun, frustrating, discouraging, occasionally painful, and expensive". |
| Hunter Power took deliver of his Quinjet, inspired by the Agents of Shield vehicle, earlier this year. | Hunter Power took deliver of his Quinjet, inspired by the Agents of Shield vehicle, earlier this year. |
| His mum, Ginger, says it was "the best Halloween ever for Hunter". | His mum, Ginger, says it was "the best Halloween ever for Hunter". |
| She says: "Not even the pouring rain during the trick-or-treating could dampen his spirit. | She says: "Not even the pouring rain during the trick-or-treating could dampen his spirit. |
| "Hunter still couldn't get up to people's doors, but they came to him, completely amazed by his costume. " | "Hunter still couldn't get up to people's doors, but they came to him, completely amazed by his costume. " |
| As word about the designs spread so did the requests from other families wanting to create something special for their children and in 2015 Magic Wheelchair, a non-profit charity, was created. | As word about the designs spread so did the requests from other families wanting to create something special for their children and in 2015 Magic Wheelchair, a non-profit charity, was created. |
| The funds to make each costume are raised through donations, but rely on a team of volunteers to give up their time to design and construct them. | The funds to make each costume are raised through donations, but rely on a team of volunteers to give up their time to design and construct them. |
| Each year children are invited to submit a short video explaining why they deserve one of the bespoke costumes and what it is they would most like to be. | Each year children are invited to submit a short video explaining why they deserve one of the bespoke costumes and what it is they would most like to be. |
| This Halloween designs will be rolled out in 11 States with 18 different teams having helped build 25 costumes including a Batmobile, Cinderella and Fire Engine. | This Halloween designs will be rolled out in 11 States with 18 different teams having helped build 25 costumes including a Batmobile, Cinderella and Fire Engine. |
| Magic Wheelchair also has teams in Chile and Canada and is hoping to expand globally. | Magic Wheelchair also has teams in Chile and Canada and is hoping to expand globally. |
| Photos courtesy of Magic Wheelchair | Photos courtesy of Magic Wheelchair |