My name is Daniel Lane. I am a 17-years-old who happens to be in a wheelchair. In our family, we have a motto “Hold my Root Beer!” Which if you don’t know means I’m going to prove you wrong.

This motto has led me to do things that many said wouldn’t be able to do because of my disability. Where others see disabilities I see abilities. I have done archery, ziplining, water skiing, also skiing. I’ve gone to ancient ruins around the world that haven’t been made wheelchair accessible, and many other things. Other than being in a wheelchair I feel like I have had a pretty normal life and other people would agree with me; I act just like a normal teenager.

My disability was caused by a stroke in utero or a stroke before birth. “This is when a baby loses blood supply to the brain (in my case my spinal cord) in late pregnancy, during birth or in the first month of life is one of the most common causes of loss of the ability to move in infants, affecting anywhere from 1 in 2,500 to 1 in 4,000 live births in the United States every year.” If you want to read more signs about it you can read here. When I was born with several medical challenges, the largest challenge was a hole in my heart. My Mom couldn’t let me cry or I would blue due to lack of oxygen. I was 1 year old when I was diagnosed as a quadriplegic. Six months later I got my first power wheelchair. From that moment on my parents couldn’t keep up with me. Now it’s time for me to show the world what I can do. All photos are by Regina Lane.