At just 6-years-old, Julian Worsham had already grown accustomed to overcoming obstacles in a world that wasn’t quite made for him.
This superpower comes nurtured by a condition he has called achondroplasia, which is a form of dwarfism.
When he started the first grade, his mom noticed that he struggled to carry his lunch tray outside to the benches and that he couldn’t see the food on the cafeteria line, which was eye level.
“I knew that there was a lot of accommodations that would be needed for school. So I had a lot prepared, but I did not think about the cafeteria,” mom Heather Worsham told KGW News.
So, she made Julian a cart to carry his tray on. It was a wonky thing made from a milk crate duct-taped to some wheels.
Cafeteria worker Enedlia Mottram, who has worked at the school for 18 years, saw the cart and knew it wouldn’t do.
“The homemade cart, the idea was right but it wasn’t the right thing. It was silly looking,” she said in a video for the Beaverton School District.
So, Mottram enlisted the help of her husband James Mottram who is a metal builder and owner of Wright Manufacturing. He and his team used their free time to make Julian something he would love.
“I thought we should make him something. Something he would be proud to push around instead of that plastic milk crate with wheels,” James Mottram said.
While the cart was being made, the school district offered to get a proper cart for Julian. Still, the folks at Wright Manufacturing decided to cook up something extra special.
This thing was all dolled up in silver and chrome with an imitation Oregon license plate that says “Julian,” and a removable stool for that extra boost when Julian needs to see and grab something off the cafeteria line.
“My favorite part is I have my license plate and it has flames on it,” Julian said.
The new cart has helped a lot.
“He’s independent now,” said Enedelia. “Before, a staff member [would] have to be there to help him,” she said.
Julian’s parents were incredibly thankful to those who worked on the customized cart.
“He’s born into a world that just, in some ways, is not built for him. The incredible amount of kindness that’s been directed our way you know, especially for my boy Julian here, this has been amazing,” dad Brett Worsham told KGW News.
Julian’s mom said the school is crawling with people with really big hearts.
When his teacher saw that his desk chair attachment wouldn’t work to keep his feet on the floor, her brother-in-law made something for the chair that would fit perfectly.
“There’s just wonderful people in this world that, you know, they have their eyes open. They’re seeing needs that need to be met and they’re meeting them. So I hope that other kids can get their needs met to through this,” she said. “I just feel so grateful.”
Besides needing a little help getting on a level learning field with the other students, Julian is your average 6-year-old.
“Julian is super creative. He loves school, he looks forward to it every day.” Heather Worsham said. “It’s [dwarfism] something that makes Julian so special and has made our lives amazing. We’ve met so many amazing people so I just want it to be something he is always proud of.”
Learn more about Julian’s sweet new lunch cart and the nice people who made it for him in the video below!
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