Paulina from East Boston (age 10) is one resilient kid. After a common virus in August ’16 triggered a rare disease, her legs were paralyzed. Her mother described the event as scary and unexpected. After 2 months at Franciscan Children’s Hospital and countless grueling hours of physical therapy, she is back at the Mario Umana Academy with the assistance of a wheelchair and the support of her classmates. See the full story on CBS News.

This winter, Waypoint has been working with Paulina’s class on the importance of teamwork and over a 7-week series has been exploring these themes through team-building activities in the classroom and adventures outside of class such as snowshoeing and indoor-kayaking. Through the use of some adaptive equipment, trained staff, and a community of volunteers, Paulina has been able to fully participate in each activity!

For our kayaking adventure at the Paris Street Pool, Paulina’s mom joined us – riding in the van with the students, participating in lessons on teamwork and paddling, and taking pictures from the pool deck the whole time. Watching her daughter participate in a challenging experience like kayaking moved her and gave her hope. Paulina still has a long road to recovery ahead but she discovered a “waypoint” or journey marker: she can kayak! With the support of her community and access to exciting adventures, Paulina, her mother, her teachers, and friends knows she’s on the path to recovery.

For more pictures of Paulina’s adventures, click here. And stay tuned for our upcoming Rock Climbing program this Friday!