ANYTHING
ANYTHING HURT HIS OWN FAMILY. THAT'S EASY TO SAY. YOU HAVE ACCESS TO A GOLD
PLATED CONGRESSIONAL HEALTH
CARE PLAN.
HE VOTED D11.
>> WHAT WOULD YOU DO FOR A
FRIEND?
WELL, YOUNG 13 YEAR OLD 4@BOY
STEPPED UP IN A BIG WAY.
AS YOU'LL LEARN IN TONIGHT'S
MAKING A DIFFERENCE REPORT, HE
MADE SURE HIS FRIENDS WOULD NOT
BE FORGOTTEN.
>> LUCAS FRITSCHI AND FROINES4@
SCHROEDER MAY BE YOUNG BUT
THEY'RE OLD FRIENDS.4@
>> LUKE IS ACTUALLY ONE OF MY
BEST FRIENDS.4@
>> THEY'RE 13 NOW BUT THEY'VE
BEEN CLASSMATES SINCE4@
KINDERGARTEN.
BUT RECENTLY LUCAS TAUGHT US A
LESSON ABOUT FRIENDSHIP.
>> YOU CAN'T LEARN IN SCHOOL
WHEN HE WAS FIVE.4@4@
>> LUCAS WAS DIAGNOSED WITH
AUTISM. 4@
HE WOULD GET AGGRESSIVE AND GET
FRUSTRATED AND OVERWHELMED
ABOUT EVERYTHING.
LITTLE THINGS WERE A CHALLENGE4@
BUT THEY NEVER SEEM TO GET IN4@
THE WAY OF HIS BIG HEART AS HIS
MOM FOUND OUT.4@
ONE AFTERNOON HE WAS AT SCHOOL
WITH FRIENDS AND HE HAD NOTICED
A FEW OF THEM DIDN'T GO OUTSIDE@
LIKE THE REST OF THEM DID.
AND THEN IT BECAME HIS MISSION
TO FIND OUT WHY PEOPLE WERE
LEFT BEHIND.4@
I DON'T REALLY LIKE ONE
OF THOSE PEOPLE LEFT BEHIND WAS@
EROWID REALLY.
YOU SEE WHEN YOU'RE BORN WITH
SPINAL BIFIDA A BIRTH DEFECT
THAT AFFECTS THE SPINE, THE4@
SCHOOL PLAYGROUND ISN'T REALLY
AN OPTION.
>> THERE REALLY WASN'T MUCH
CHOICE.
YO4@U COULD SWING IN A SLIDE4@
BASICALLY BECAUSE WE WERE
ALWAYS TOO AFRAID TO LET HIM ON
ANYTHING ELSE.4@
>> LUCAS CAME HOME THAT NIGHT
AND HE SAID MOM, I HAVE TO4@
BUILD A PLAYGROUND INSTEAD
OF ROLLING YOUR EYES.4@
>> LUCAS'S MOM ROLLED THE DICE
AND CONTACTED NATALIE MACKEY.
MACKIE RUNS A LIMITED PLAY
WHICH BUILDS INCLUSIVE
PLAYGROUNDS.4@
SHE STARTED THE ST. LOUIS AREA
NONPROFIT IN 2007 TO GIVE HER4@
SON ZACHARY A CHANCE TO PLAY.
HE WAS B4@ORN WITH A REALLY RARE
NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE.4@4@
>> AND THE ONE THING I DECIDED
I COULD GIVE BACK WAS HIS
CHANCE TO PLAY WITH ALL THE
OTHER KIDS.4@
13 YEARS LATER, UNLIMITED PLAY4@
HAS BUILT 34 PLAYGROUND IN
FIFTEEN DIFFERENT STATES HIGHER@
NOW AN ALL INCLUSIVE PLAYGROUND
CAN COST HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS
OF DOLLARS AND IT BECAME CLEAR4@
THAT WHEN LUCAS HAS 4@A PASSION
HE IS PERSISTENT.4@4@
>> SOME PUB PUBLIC SPEAKING
WOULD BE HARD FOR ANYBODY,4@
ESPECIALLY SOMEONE WITH AUTISM
.
BUT LUCAS KEPT MAKING HIS PITCH
TO RAISE MONEY.
>> TO TEACHERS THAN THE SCHOOL4@
BOARD IN BEFORE ANYONE KNEW IT.
>> I WAS STANDING BESIDE LUCAS4@
EXPLAINING TO CITY COUNCIL WHAT
AN INCLUSIVE PLAYGROUND WAS.
THIS IS FRENCH LANE PARK IN
PERRYVILLE WHERE THE CITY4@
COUNCIL DONATED LAND FOR LUCAS
AND FRIENDS BACKYARD
ADVENTURES.4@
THE NEXT UNLIMITED PLAY4@
PLAYGROUND PROBABLY HAD A LOT
OF FUN.4@
BUILT THERE'S STILL SOME WORK
TO BE DONE AND MORE MONEY TO BE
RAISED BUT THEY HOPE TO START
CONSTRUCTION BEFORE THE END
OF THE YEAR.
>> YOU CAN PLAY WITH ANYBODY ON
THAT KIND OF PLAYGROUND.4@
I HAD A FAMILY COME TO ME ONE
DAY AND THE HUSBAND'S IN A
WHEELCHAIR AND HE WAS SO
EXCITED TO GO THAT HE IS GOING
TO GET TO PLAY WITH HIS
CHILDREN.
FOR YEARS TO COME AND THAT HE
NEVER THOUGHT THAT THAT WOULD
BE POSSIBLE.4@
ONE YOUNG BOY SHOWING US THAT
WE ALL GET AHEAD. 4@4@
WHEN NO ONE GETS LEFT BEHIND4@
MAZY THEY STILL NEED TO RAISE4@
SOME MONEY TO FINISH THE
PLAYGROUND.
IF YOU WANT TO HELP, WE CAN
LINK YOU TO THE UNLIMITED PLAY
WEB SITE.
WHEN YOU GO TO THIS STORY ON4@
CASE TKD OUTCOME AND A REMINDER
IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO'S
INSPIRING OR MAKING