LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Kentucky School for the Blind cut the ribbon to their brand new playground. A playground thanks to a fourth-grade student who used his wish to make sure everyone was included.

What You Need To Know

  •  11 year old uses his wish to get new playground at his school

  •  Make-A-Wish and Kentucky School for the Blind helped make Anthony's wish a reality

  •  The accessible playground at the School for the blind features a wheelchair ramp, braille activities, and incorporates all the senses.

From the outside looking in, it may look like just an ordinary playground at the Kentucky School for the Blind. To Cierra Martin, it’s a dream that has been four years in the making.

“I am just so excited that the first thing he said was, ‘Let’s play,’” Martin said. “That just made my heart overflow. I feel like my heart grew three sizes today,”

The inspiration behind the new addition, Martin’s 11-year-old son Anthony.

“At the age of two he was diagnosed with his brain tumor. He had brain surgery, and he had a stroke right after surgery, so that is why he’s in the wheelchair and then the brain tumor took his vision so he has multiple disabilities but he is the happiest kid you will ever meet,” Martin said.

Thanks to Make-A-Wish and the Kentucky School for the Blind, they could make that dream a reality.

“We knew we weren’t going to do a trip because with his vision and his memory complications we wanted something that was tactile, that he could feel and it would spark that memory and something he could continuously enjoy and he wanted a playground,” Martin said.

The new accessible playground at the Kentucky School for the Blind features wheelchair ramps, braille activities, and incorporates all the senses. One of Anthony’s favorite parts.

“When Anthony started here in kindergarten, he got kind of a nickname. We call him ‘The mayor,’” Peggy Sinclair-Morris with Kentucky School for the Blind said. “Anthony, we’re so glad that you brought forth that wish of having this playground and I’m so happy to see everyone here and I can’t wait to see all the kids on the playground.”

A playground for everyone.

“I know, I love it,” Martin said. “It’s fantastic. One of the things we wanted to do was give all the kids of every size and age the ability to play and, as you can see, high schoolers down to kindergarteners are enjoying this already.”

Making the wait well worth it.

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