MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Those little red wagons we rode in as kids can trigger nostalgia. That is the sometimes comforting feeling of the past rolling into the present.
“It’s kind of an iconic thing,” said Joseph Legg, Homeway Construction owner. “What kid doesn’t want to ride around in a wagon?”
Legg’s three-year-old daughter, Reagan, sure does. Reagan was born with a brain bleed and she lives with cerebral palsy. To Joseph and his wife, Rebekah, she is a miracle.
“When she was born, they said it was a possibility that she wouldn’t be able to talk or walk and there she is,” said Legg.
He credits the miracle workers at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital.
“Le Bonheur saved her life. I actually have the Le Bonheur logo tattooed which is pretty wild, but that’s how much I feel about that place,” said Legg.
He decided to give back to the hospital that gave his family so much. He wants to share with other kids something Reagan loves.
“The goal is a little bit of fun, but also a little bit of function,” said Jessica Liles, Le Bonheur’s Director of Child Life. “In a space where sometimes things can be scary or frightening, it’s fun to see them, to see that kind of wash away and you see the excitement.”
Legg started a fundraiser surpassing his goal of $1,000 to get more red wagons for the hospital.
“When you’re cooped up in the hospital and you’re cooped up in your room, every now and then you want to get out and walk around,” said Legg.
It is an escape from reality with the power of imagination.
“We’re focused on what do they need to learn, to grow, to be able to cope. So much of that is rooted in fun and play… It actually helps them heal faster, so that hopefully we can get them home sooner,” said Liles.
“I’m very much a believer in God. To see her defeat all the odds is definitely a blessing and shows her strength and her ingenuity to push through,” said Legg.
Reagan is riding happily to a healthier future in the reminisce of the past.
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