OLATHE, Kan. — A local 10-year-old is the inspiration behind a new children's book about inclusion.
Kaden Griffith has been a huge soccer fan his whole life and has always wished for a soccer field where he can play with his power wheelchair.
He's the inspiration behind the book Kaden's Dream, which was released Tuesday along with a first reading of the book by KC Current goalkeeper AD Franch.
The book is about a young boy named Kaden who lives in a wheelchair and dreams about playing soccer.
Franch said she is a lifelong friend of Kaden's and is honored to promote a book that teaches young kids the importance of inclusion.
"Kids are like sponges, they absorb so much, so to be able to read this, they've just learned so much just within that one book that it doesn't matter where you are, how you are, you can do so many different things and there's opportunities out there," Franch said.
The book is the first children’s story as a part of Variety Tales, a new program that will help fund equipment for kids with a variety of disabilities and remove barriers to help all kids be active, be social and be strong.
"After this book, we're hoping every school and every home will show the representation of what special needs looks like so that it's not different, that it becomes the new normal, that kids with special needs are seen as equals to everybody else," Deborah Wiebrecht, chief inclusion officer at Variety Children's Charity of Kansas City, said.
Franch said she's confident Kaden is going to change the world.
Through his Ipad, Kaden shared this message:
"Our world needs to understand everyone is human, and we need to embrace differences and not make them be a bad thing."
Kaden's Dream is available at local Hyvee locations an on Amazon.
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