Paralyzed North Carolina Teen Defying Odds On Skateboard

(Waynesville, North Carolina)  Around five o’clock every afternoon, the wheels in a tiny Waynesville, NC church parking lot start spinning.  This is where 16 year old Danny Pelletier is at his best.  “It’s a hobby,“ says Pelletier.  “I love it.  Everybody did it where I lived, so I just wanted to jump in and try it.“  The high school junior first jumped on a skateboard when he was five, and hasn’t stopped since.  “If you land a trick you’ve never landed, it’s so awesome,“ he says. 

    As awesome as the tricks are, the boy behind them is the real story.  You see, Danny is not your typical skateboarding teen.  Since he was 5 months old, he’s been a paraplegic:  paralyzed from the waist down.  “I was born with a tumor on my spinal cord,“ Danny says.  It’s called spina bifita.  When the doctor was taking it out he cut my spinal cord.“  Where many saw a dead end, Danny discovered a challenge.  “I found these crutches in the clinic, I saw a kid walking with them and the first thing I thought of was the skateboard.“  Even doctors told the teen it wasn’t possible.  Yet, he’s only been injured twice.  Now, he uses crutches, letting his arms do the work his legs cannot. 

    Still, Pelletier’s skills aren’t the only thing that’s getting attention.  “Everyone knows Danny,“ says friend Randall Woodall.  “I mean you see a kid on crutches skating down a hill you’re going to want to meet him.“  He says small children often gather around the church parking lot just to see what his friend can do.  “Most people call it handicapped but he calls it handi-capable.  He’s capable of doing it, he’s just handicapped. It’s wonderful.“

    Determined to defy his disability, Pelletier has a dream of rolling right to the top.  He says he’ll turn this tragedy into just another trick he’s willing to try.  “Do something you want to do for the rest of your life.“