By Danielle Craig
GRANTS PASS, Ore. — A Southern Oregon man is preparing to walk the Rogue Valley, all the way from Grants Pass to Ashland, and Brady Adams is doing it with Parkinson’s disease.
For four-year-olds, superheroes are everything, but Issac Pinon has a different kind of hero.
“As soon as they met each other, they just kind of had this bond,” says Mona Pinon, Issac’s Mother.
A bond strong enough to prompt Brady Adams to get up and do what Issac can’t: Walk. Adams is walking 46 miles, though he admits the trek will be slow-going due to his Parkinson’s disease.
“It’s more like a shuffle-about,” remarks Adams.
With one foot in front of the other, Adams plans to “shuffle” from Grants Pass to Ashland.
“I can walk, I’ll be slow, but I can do it,” Adams says.
Adams is raising awareness for the ‘Blue Slide Project’, an effort championed by Issac’s mom to build a wheelchair accessible playground at Parkside Elementary.
“People like Issac and his mom are unsung heroes Adams
Issac’s mom has raised half of their $50,000 goal to finish phase one of the project – something she’s never done before.
“I’m just a stay at home mom [...] five kids, I can’t do this,” Pinon says.
But with the help of the community, and now Adams, a playground her son can play on is closer to becoming a reality.
“Nobody knows us, they’re strangers,” says Pinon. “Strangers helping us…I’m overwhelmed.”
Strangers that are quickly becoming friends.
“I hate to use that word [‘Hero’], because I just try to be who I am,” Adams says. Some heroes get around with web, others roll…and some shuffle.
If you would like to donate the Blue Slide Project, head to The Blue Slide Project’s Facebook page.
