TAMPA, Fla. – A boy with a defect in his spine rode a tricycle for the first time in his life on Friday morning.
The Tampa Police Department surprised the 10-year-old boy named Alexi with his very own tricycle. Alexi has spina bifida, which is a birth defect that prevents a baby’s spinal cord from properly developing.
"Thank you {to} the police department that brought me this bike," Alexi said.
Each of Alexi’s siblings won bicycles as part of a giveaway event in April. Officers noticed Alexi, who is wheelchair-bound, was distraught because he did not receive a bicycle.
Tampa officers did not want Alexi’s condition to prevent him from having a bike, so they found a South Florida company that specializes in adaptive tricycles for people living with physical disabilities.
"It brings tears to my eyes that my kid can ride a bike like others kids can, you know?" the boy's mother said.
Alexi received the tricycle thanks to the generosity of the Tampa Police Department, OnBikes organization, University Bicycle Center and Spectra Healthcare management.
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