Halloween costume for girl in wheel chair

Students and alumni from the Virginia Commonwealth University schools of dentistry and medicine spent eight weeks and 200 man-hours creating a Halloween costume for Alex Haynes, 16, who is confined to a wheelchair. First they met with Alex and her family, and learned she enjoys a toy called "See 'n Say" which makes farm animal sounds. Then they built a 5x7 foot red barn (made of styrofoam) which completely covers her wheelchair and makes her the focal point inside, where she wears a chicken mask.

                                                                                                        Courtesy of Sarah Simpson
An organization called Magic Wheelchair raised $300 for the project through a bake sale. Magic Wheelchair was founded by Ryan Weimer after making the "biggest and baddest" Halloween costumes he could for his sons who are confined to wheelchairs. Soon he received requests from parents all over the world asking him to transform their child's wheelchair into something magical. Alex received her "barn" on Oct. 22 when everyone in her family dressed as farm animals and her grandfather dressed as Old MacDonald pushed the chair while she sat inside the barn. She had a huge smile when she realized the costume had been made just for her.