Nadene with her wish: an accessible beach path

A Wish for Equity

17-year-old Nadene was diagnosed with lymphoma in high school. There were days she couldn’t get out of bed because of the pain. During chemotherapy, she temporarily relied on a wheelchair to get around. It was then she realized just how challenging day-to-day life can be for people with disabilities. This difficult time in her life inspired her wish and sparked a movement of hope.   After learning about her selfless wish to give Indiana Dunes State Park a wheelchair-accessible beach path, multiple organizations across the community came together to fundraise nearly $100,000 to expand upon her wish plan and install multiple paths from the sand to the water at Indiana Dunes State Park.  
 
“I have been coming to this park since I was a little girl,” said Kris Wilkinson through tears. She had no idea a path was being installed until she stumbled upon it during a recent visit to the park with her son, Brian. Brian is nonverbal and uses a wheelchair full-time. Kris has been bringing him to the park since he was a baby.   “He loves water and he loves to eat. Those are his two favorite things in life. Every time I would come here with Brian, I would just stand right there on the concrete, and that’s the closest we could be to the sand.” Today, Brian is 33-years-old, and thanks to Nadene’s wish, for the first time in his life, Kris could bring him to the water’s edge. “To be able to do this is amazing. He can’t say anything, but I know he’s just really happy, he feels it. It’s inclusion…you’ve included us and this is amazing.”  
 
Nadene’s parents said their daughter has always had a giving heart. “I’m very proud,” said Nadene’s mom, “She loves to help others.”  
 
“Going through cancer, going through chemo, this was worth it to make other people happy, let other people enjoy the beach, and enjoy good lives,” reflected Nadene. “Now that I have the ramp built it’s going to be so much easier for people to go sit by the water.”  
 
Nadene’s wish will make a positive impact in the community and countless lives for years to come.