KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The winter weather might have students indoors for recess, but once the weather warms up, Piper Rotert will have a new way to play with her friends during recess.
Piper Rotert is a first grader at Line Creek Elementary School in the Park Hill School District. She has a rare muscle condition called central core disease and uses a wheelchair to get around.
Line Creek was awarded the 2022 Platte County Parks and Recreation outreach grant to make an update to the school playground. Last month, a glider was installed for kids of all abilities.
"To have the school do this without us even asking them to do this really shows Piper that she belongs and teaches her friends that she deserves to be included in all of their activities and shows other school districts and organizations and all that, that they can do this too," said Julia Rotert, Piper's mother.
Before the glider, Piper Rotert was limited in what she could do out on the playground.
"I just kind of zoomed around," Piper Rotert said.
Now, the glider allows her to join her friends.
"I was really excited about it," Piper Rotert said.
Her mother was overwhelmed with emotion after the glider was installed.
"I don't think there's words to describe how that feels as a parent of a child with a disability," said Julia Rotert. "We fight so much, so to have someone go without asking, it's just...there's no words."
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