At surface level, Luke sounds like your typical toddler. In reality, his story goes much deeper.

Prior to his birth, Luke’s parents had no idea he would be born with a tumor. At delivery, it was very obvious. The Adkins family stayed in the NICU for five days before being told the tumor was cancerous and that they would need outpatient follow-up.

“I still get teary-eyed recalling that day,” Grace said. “When Luke was 19 days old, he had his central line placed in his chest and received his first dose of chemotherapy.”

A few months after his birth, Luke had a disarticulation at the elbow. A disarticulation is different from an amputation. An amputation is when medical professionals cut through the bone, and a disarticulation is when the arm is taken apart at the joint. In growing kids, you cannot cut through the bones and must go at the growth plate.

Originally, the plan was to take Luke’s arm at his shoulder. But when Grace and Riley spoke with their medical team, they made the decision to attempt to shrink Luke’s tumor from the elbow joint and save the upper arm.

He had 12 weeks of chemo prior to his surgery and was just shy of four months old when they took the arm after successfully shrinking the tumor down away from the elbow enough. Luke had negative margins after the surgery, meaning they removed all of the cancer cells.

Post surgery, he received 4 more cycles of chemo, which made him terribly sick. Since he was immunocompromised, the Adkins family basically lived in a bubble for the first year of Luke’s life. Through these tough times, Luke and his parents stayed strong.

For the past few months, Luke has had clear scans and remains cancer-free. However, the Adkins family never lets their guard down knowing that there is always a possibility of Luke relapsing.

Grace found out about the Adaptive Strider Program through the Lucky Fin Project. She looked further into the program on Strider’s website and learned that all she would need to do is measure Luke’s “lucky fin” and fill out some information on the attached form. Once that was submitted, the process was slick. Strider’s Fabrication Specialist took the information that she had provided and within a week, a custom, one-of-a-kind bike had arrived at the Adkins’ doorstep for Luke to ride. This bike wasn’t your typical bike though, it was one that would fit him properly and be comfortable to ride.

Luke has just started taking interest in his bike and and his father, Riley, is stoked for the day his son will be able to shred alongside him.

“Riley is big into dirt bikes and motocross,” Grace said. “He races in the SECCA circuit, which are trails through the woods. Race day is an all-day affair, and the very first races are the ‘tadpoles’ which are little toddlers on Strider Bikes! Riley is absolutely beside himself wanting Luke to be able to go race his Strider with the tadpoles!”

Luke will still need to go in for scheduled checkups but as of now, his prognosis is good. The Adkins family is preparing for many happy and active years together!

Strider sees many “tadpole races” in Luke’s future and will be cheering him on every step of the way! Want to follow his journey? Check out @adventuresofluke on Facebook.

The post Luke’s Story appeared first on Strider Balance Bikes.

Those are just a few words that describe 3-year-old Tabor Brooks. 

Tabor was born with an upper limb difference, because of this he has been behind in gross motor skills since day one. His parents, Tara and Tyler, questioned how Tabor would learn to complete basic tasks and become as independent as possible. However, every day he surprises them with figuring out his own way of doing things. No matter how difficult something is, Tabor never stops working until he gets it!  

Tabor has always done his best to keep up with his older brother, Tayden. It wasn’t long before Tayden started zooming around on a Strider Bike and Tabor wanted in on the action. A close friend of the Brooks family reached out to Strider about creating an adaptive bike for Tabor, something that would match his needs perfectly.

After a few emails and a couple of measurements, a brand-new Adaptive Strider Bike arrived on the Brooks’ doorstep. “This is the first summer he has had his Strider, so we are still working on balance and learning how to turn,” explained Tara, Tabor’s mom. “He’s super excited! He wants to do everything his older brother does, so for him to have a bike that’s just like Tayden’s is really special.”  

Once Tabor finds his balance, he loves to cruise around the backyard with his big bro. For Tabor’s parents, this is so much more than a bike. It’s a tool that has helped their son gain confidence. “It’s really bittersweet for me to watch Tabor be independent and not have to stand on the sidelines,” said Tara. “I think it’s great for other kids to see that Tabor looks different, but hey, he can do the same things that they can do!”  

The Brooks family is excited to watch the Adaptive Strider Program grow because they know there is a huge need for it. “There isn’t a lot of resources for limb differences, so we kind of have to figure it out as we go. For a company to recognize the need and actually do something about it is such a blessing,” explained Tara. “Thank you, Strider Bikes, for seeing the children with differences and being inclusive because it’s not one size fits all.” 

We’re so stoked to watch Tabor tear it up on two wheels and find his stride! Please Contact Us if your child is in need of an Adaptive Strider Bike! 

The post Tabor’s Story appeared first on Strider Balance Bikes.

Almost three years ago, Crystal and Ryan Morgan welcomed their son, Ryder, to the world. From day one, he was an expressive little guy who was continually happy. Ryder has always been able to put a smile on anyone’s face with his humor and overwhelming amount of cuteness.

Ryder was born with a medical condition called Symbrachydactyly and is missing all his fingers on the left side. This limb difference makes gripping things difficult for him, but the ever-positive Morgan family refers to his little hand as his “Lucky Fin”, a reference from the movie Finding Nemo.

With his determined personality, Ryder has never let his limb difference slow him down. It is his mission to do all the things he sees other kids doing. You should see him swing a bat! However, attempting to learn new activities can be frustrating for Ryder, and one of those things was riding a bike.

“When Ryder started to take interest in his bike, it was very challenging for him to stay balanced and stable because he could only grip one side,” recalled Crystal, Ryder’s mom. “This led to a lot of falls and frustration.” However, when Ryder’s parents saw how committed he was to riding a bike, they knew they needed to come up with a solution to stabilize his left hand. They brainstormed some ideas on what to add to Ryder’s handlebars to help him keep stable, but nothing worked.

Several weeks later, Crystal came across a Strider Bikes Instagram post that would change everything. The post featured a kiddo who had a limb difference like Ryder’s and Strider had created a bike to fit that child’s exact needs.

Immediately, the family reached out to Strider about the possibility of creating a bike for their son’s unique condition. After a few measurements and a couple phone calls, an altered Strider Bike arrived on the Morgan’s doorstep. Crystal and Ryan watched as Ryder immediately took to the new bike. “He quickly figured out that the new adaptive piece on his handlebars was for his ‘Lucky Fin’,” Crystal explained. “It was as if the piece had been there all along.”

Today, Ryder and his Strider Bike are inseparable. His confidence has sky-rocketed, and he is a tornado on two wheels. “To see him so happy riding his bike is the best feeling in the world,” Crystal shared.

Because of Ryder and other children that may need a few adjustments to their bike to get them rolling, Strider has officially launched the inclusive Adaptive Strider Program. The mission of this program is to see EVERY child ride a bike. The adaptive parts and assembly are free with the purchase of a Strider Bike.

The Morgan family is excited to watch the program grow and thrive, as kids like Ryder will be able to experience the joy that comes with riding on two wheels.

Please Contact Us if your child is in need of an Adaptive Strider Bike!

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If you or someone you know would benefit from an Adaptive Strider Bike please Contact Us!

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If you or someone you know would benefit from an Adaptive Strider Bike please Contact Us!

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