Many kids dream of taking a ride in the Batmobile and that dream has become a reality for an Alberta boy, thanks to the help of his barber.
Five-year-old Troy Pardely has Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a neurological disorder that causes nerve damage in his arms and legs. He uses a wheelchair to get around.
A couple of months ago while getting his hair cut, Troy’s barber, Katie Marie Nagy, asked him what he was dressing up as for Halloween this year. Troy told her he was going to be Batman and that his mom hoped to transform his wheelchair into the Batmobile.
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With a crafty side to her, and a young son of her own, Nagy couldn’t help but offer her assistance with the project.
“I’ve done a Spawn costume, I could totally fab something up,” she recalled.
“Batman Returns is my favourite movie, my favourite Batmobile.”
So, she took the idea and ran with it. Nagy worked for about a month and a half on the project and while there were a few setbacks, the finished Batmobile is impressive.
The wheelchair was completely transformed with the help of foam blocks and clay. It has working front and taillights, silly string missiles and bat symbols on the wheels.
“I definitely knew I wanted to put some lights in, I wanted it to glow,” Nagy explained. “I wanted it to be something more than just a Batmobile, it had to look great at nighttime too.”
The final product, and overall gesture by Nagy, is so much more than Troy’s family could have ever imagined.
“I said, ‘Holy cow, Batman!'” mom Charlotte Pardely said. “I would have put a cardboard box on it, painted it black and put a bat symbol on it so I’m all for super crafty help.
“It turned out far more than we ever dreamed… It’s unbelievable.
“There are some really kind, wonderful people in this community that have stepped up and helped us in a lot of ways.”
Charlotte said the transformed wheelchair will greatly improve her son’s Halloween experience. Last year, he tired out after visiting just a couple of houses.
“He doesn’t have any endurance. He can’t walk very far, he can’t run, he doesn’t jump. So being able to use the wheelchair for trick-or-treating will get him so much further.”
Nagy said she was just happy to help and wouldn’t hesitate to do it all over again.
“Kids need to feel special… It’s the one time of year kids should be excited. It’s the one time of the year they want to stay up late and they want to go hit every house and last year he just couldn’t, his legs hurt,” she explained.
“He’s such an amazing boy. I couldn’t say no to something like this.”