Twin Buttes boy gets new wheelchair with help from GABR

We met Benny Howling Wolf last year as he was recovering from West Nile virus. The illness nearly killed him and his recovery has been slow. But some new equipment from the Sanford Health Foundation's Great American Bike Race is helping him in his journey back.

His new chair is better suited for Benny as he grows, and it's lighter, letting his mom Jessica Howling Wolf move him around easier. Benny still has a long way to go in his recovery, but now his new wheels will hopefully speed that up.

His therapy tries to make him stand on his own. But when that's over, Benny goes back to his new wheelchair he got with help from the GABR Foundation.

"It's a pretty expensive piece of equipment, but if that foundation wasn't there, you know I don't think they wouldn't be seeing something like this in his progress,” said Jessica.

Jessica says as Benny has grown and gotten stronger, he outgrew his old chair. But insurance regulations wouldn't cover the new one. That's when the foundation stepped in.

"It's a small gift maybe to somebody, but it's a huge gift for his life and to our family,” said Jessica. "He has been showing the ability to stand on his own, his balance has gotten a lot better."

Benny's journey isn't done yet, but the future is bright. GABR is this Saturday at Legacy High School. We'll have a live broadcast of the event at noon CDT, hosted by Andrew Horn and Alan Miller