PELHAM, Ala. — Eight-year-old Connor Herrero from Pelham is helping raise funds to build a handicap-accessible playground in memory of his best friend, Connor Jacobs who had cerebral palsy.
“We loved each other as much as the universe could take. Basically we just could not be separated. The day I heard about when he died, that’s when it struck me our hearts are too strong to be broken. I just really miss him and I’m sad that he’s gone,” Herrero told al.com.
To honor his friend’s memory, Herrero is working with Carly’s Clubhouse, a non-profit founded by Dustin Chandler for his daughter Carly to build a large playground in Pelham where disabled children and able bodied children can play side-by-side.
If the name Carly Chandler sounds familiar to you, it’s because Carly is the little girl who inspired “Carly’s Law,” which gives children with certain neurological disorders the chance to be treated with a marijuana derivative known as cannabidiol. The treatment comes in oil form and contains none of the intoxicating effects of marijuana.
In April, Carly, who suffers from an extremely rare disorder that causes severe seizures, received her first dose of cannabidiol, and her family is already seeing improvements in her development.
Carly’s Clubhouse, an artist’s rendering of which can be seen above, will feature “accessible elements, cooperative games, sensory rich play opportunities and quiet areas.”
To raise funds for the playground, Herrero came up with the idea of having students at Valley Elementary and Intermediate Schools pay $1 to wear a hat to school. Between the two campuses, he raised $755 last month.
“We’re very touched with Connor and his friendship with our Connor,” Connor Jacobs’s dad, Jack, said. “He’s done so much in Connor’s memory, it means a lot to us.
“I think he would be proud of his friend. Although Connor couldn’t talk, he always got a smile on his face when he was happy and when Connor was always around.”
To read more about Carly’s Clubhouse or donate to the effort to build the inclusive playground, visit their website at www.carlysclubhouse.org.
(h/t al.com)
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— Elizabeth BeShears (@LizEBeesh) January 21, 2015
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