Kids love to assert their independence, but Wyatt Banks can do something on his own that truly impresses his family and his doctors: The 1-year-old can roll himself in a wheelchair.
His mom, Abby Wallis Banks, told FOX Carolina News that earlier this year the toddler was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called Transverse Myelitis that attacked his spinal cord. It left Wyatt paralyzed from the chest down.
Over the course of four months, he has regained use of his arms, but not his legs, so they put little Wyatt into a wheelchair -- "just ... to kind of see what he would do," Mom told HLN. "We put him in there and held a toy out, and he knew exactly what to do." On October 4, he successfully wheeled himself forward.
Banks captured the video of the first push forward on the Facebook page she uses to update friends, family, and strangers on Wyatt's progress.
Today, Wyatt is continuing to use his wheelchair and is better than ever. In another video update, mom explains that he even uses a "dynamic stander" that lets him strengthen his legs and still wheel around. She notes that baby puffs are a great motivator to get him to push.
He even just got new wheels, a chair that mom found on eBay that was small enough to use until he gets a custom one.
Although Wyatt looks adorable in the new wheelchair, the Facebook bio reminds us just why Wyatt is working so hard: “This is his fight to regain the use of his legs,” mom writes.
And fight he has. According to HLN, his parents and doctors are hopeful he will be able to walk soon.
Looks like baby Wyatt is on a roll to recovery.
Related
Before You Go
