A day we thought would not be possible again: a New York City family story - and involving chocolate

From UCP of NYC website: For many families, taking trips together is as easy as scheduling an outing, packing bags, and hopping in the car. For families who have loved ones with special needs, organizing a family trip requires a great deal more planning and resources. Recently, UCP of NYC helped the Hang Family, whose son lives at a UCP of NYC residence fulfil their wish to visit Hershey Park together as a family, thus restoring a family tradition. 

For the Hang family, one of the obstacles preventing them from taking a trip together was mobility. Their son and brother, Ronald, needed a new travel wheelchair that could support him during their outing and fit into his parent's trunk. Unfortunately his travel chair was old, frayed, and unreliable and his daily wheelchair was too bulky for travel. With a call made from Ronald's social worker, Lisa Lataille, UCP of NYC was able to donate a new travel chair to Ronald. The travel chair acquisition combined with the leadership and support of UCP of NYC's staff Richard Soto, Residential Recreation Specialist, Marcia Thomas, Senior Residential Specialist, and Kevin Jones, Residential Specialist, the Hang Family made their family outing a reality.

In the spirit of gratitude to UCP of NYC, the Hang family asked to share the following account of their family trip to Hershey Park with our readers:

'As we entered the large glass doors, and stood amongst the crowd of families and children, the smell of chocolate filled the room. A familiar, nostalgic feeling entered all of our minds. It was a day that none of us had thought would be possible again. We were all together as a family at Hershey's Chocolate World. We exchanged glances as we looked around the hectic lobby. Mom and dad both had grey haired and Ronald no longer the small boy in his wheelchair. It had been nearly ten years since we'd taken a family trip to Hershey Park. This was Ronald's most favorite place in the entire world. We visited here for years consecutively when we were children. Now, everyone has grown and aged, but the warmth and aromas brought us back to younger days. This time, it was also with our extended UCP of NYC family, who helped make an old family tradition come alive.

'As Ronald grew older, taller, heavier, it wasn't an easy task to take a trip with him. Given the fact that our whole family was working full-time and our parents had aged, coordinating a trip out of New York was something we didn't think would be feasible again. Our mom had expressed how much Ronald loved Chocolate World. UCP of NYC helped make his dream come true. The weekend started with Rick, Marcia, and Kevin taking Ronald, Christina, and Mohammad to Pennsylvania. They toured the city for an afternoon, before meeting up with us on a brisk Saturday Morning to head to Chocolate World.  With UCP of NYC's help, we were able to transport him safely to the site and they assisted with every step of the way.

'As we entered the Chocolate Tour, Ronald's face lit up. He was registering the familiar sounds of laughter, and the Hershey's Chocolate song coming from the 10 minute ride. As we started on the tour, Ronald was intrigued by the lights, music, and narration as if he were 8 years old again. We knew instantly that we had to stay on the ride for a second round. After coming to a stop, we wheeled him off of the rotating car, to see him beaming with happiness. It was a moment that we all wished would never end.

'This family trip will be a memory that we will carry for a lifetime. Without the assistance of the UCP of NYC staff Rick, Marcia, and Kevin – we may never have felt capable enough to take care of Ronald and travel with him out of state. As a family, we've had our moments of worry about issues like sudden health problems, safety hazards, and even being physically capable of transporting to dinner out on a regular weekend. Never in our minds could we fathom that we'd all be together in Pennsylvania at Hershey Park again.'