Today is our son Colter’s 11th birthday—and we’re celebrating with a birthday wish that reaches beyond just our own family.

As many of you know, Colter experiences Down syndrome and has a deep love for the outdoors. My husband and I met and married in Jackson, WY, where hiking has always been part of our story. We’ve loved sharing that passion with our three children. But as Colter has grown, it’s become harder to stay on the trail together. He’s simply too heavy to carry, and while his older siblings can hike for miles, Colter typically joins us for the first half to three-quarters of a mile, then turns back with Mom or Dad while the others continue the loop.

We’ve found creative ways to make it work, but it’s clear we’re only hiking together for a limited part of the journey.

That’s why we’re raising funds to purchase a Huckleberry Hiker—an adaptive hiking cart that allows children with mobility challenges to hop in and out as needed. It’s trail-friendly, lightweight, and helps families stay together on longer, more rugged adventures. This would be life-changing for Colter—and for all of us.

But we’re dreaming even bigger.

We know many families in the disability community who would benefit from access to a cart like this. While insurance helps with wheelchairs, wheelchairs aren’t built for backcountry trails. Our hope is to share this Huckleberry Hiker with other families in our area, so they too can experience the joy of hiking together.

We’re working on a partnership with a local nonprofit that’s near and dear to our hearts—one that serves families impacted by disabilities. If we raise enough funds, we plan to either:

Purchase the Huckleberry Hiker ourselves (along with accessories to make it adaptable for a range of needs) and donate it later to the nonprofit,

OR

Gift the full amount directly to the nonprofit to purchase and manage the equipment, with our support.

If we’re able to go beyond our initial goal, we’d love to buy additional carts so we can host group hikes and continue to make the trails accessible to more families.

In honor of Colter’s 11th birthday, would you consider donating $11—or more—to help us reach this goal? Every gift brings us closer to keeping families together on the trail and sharing the gift of adventure with others.

Thank you so much for your support, encouragement, and love. It means the world to our family.

With gratitude,

Sevrin, Megan, Anaya, Deacon, and Colter John