SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – NextStep Orlando is set to host its 13th Annual Walk and Roll-athon at Reiter Park.
The event on Oct. 29 will raise money for people suffering from different types of paralysis.
Following Hurricane Ian, one of the event’s youngest clients had their home flooded. The family of 6-year-old Damiano said the flooding made it difficult to bring him into the facility for his much-needed treatment.
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Damiano was all smiles on Tuesday as his therapists helped him regain important muscle strength. The young boy was paralyzed due to a car crash last year.
Amanda Perla said her mother founded NextStep Orlando 13 years ago following her own injury. Perla said she became paralyzed while riding in the passenger seat during a vehicle crash her senior year of high school.
“I came from a really active background. I danced competitively for 11 years, so when I came home and started doing outpatient physical therapy, we just found it just not challenging and wanted to see what kind of functionality and mobility I could regain,” Perla said.
The organization’s event allows for each client to create their own fundraising page on their website, allowing donors to know exactly where their money is going.
Perla said Damiano is another example of the impact the treatment has on their clients.
“Not only are we in the gym working hard, but we’re a family outside of the gym and that we spend a lot of time together just as friends, not just as clients and trainers. So, they just want to be a art of that atmosphere and that energy,” Perla said.
Registration is scheduled for 10:15 a.m. on Oct. 29 at Reiter Park in Longwood. Click here for more information on the organization’s website.
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