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After Creating An Amusement Park For Their Daughter With Special Needs This Family Expanded It With A Water Park

By July 18, 2017 at 6:00 pm

Este es el primer parque de agua en el mundo para niños discapacitados. ?

Posted by Univision Noticias on Thursday, July 13, 2017

Credit: Univision

One of the best parts of summer as a kid is being able to walk around dripping wet and have no one bat an eyelash at you. Pools, park sprinklers, water balloon fights and, the best, water parks, were some of the best ways to escape the heat and have a blast all at the same time.

In an effort to spread that wonderful experience to even more people and children, one amusement park has opened an adjoining water park dedicated to just that: bringing the fun of water parks to everyone.

Morgan’s Wonderland in San Antonio, Texas is an amusement park dedicated to being accessible, especially for children with special needs.

Wishing everyone a week full of JOY! #morganswonderland @straps_sports

A post shared by Morgan's Wonderland (@morganswonderlandtexas) on

The park was designed by Gordan Hartman and his daughter Morgan, who has special needs.

They recently opened “Morgan’s Inspiration Island,” an accessible water park that is connected to the original amusement park.

100% pure bliss. Happy Friday, everyone! ?: @robin_jerstad! ??⛱ #MorgansInspirationIsland #MorgansWonderland #inclusion #TexasToDo

A post shared by Morgan's Wonderland (@morganswonderlandtexas) on

They even brought in new types of waterproof wheelchairs to make playing in water easier.

The PneuChair was made in partnership with the Human Engineering Research Lab at the University of Pittsburgh.

Credit: Morgan’s Wonderland

The chair operates on compressed air, is water proof, and only takes only ten minutes to charge, making it safer and more efficient.

Children of all ages and abilities are encouraged to go.

According to the park’s website, there are many precautions and considerations taken at the park to ensure that the park is fun and safe.

The park has GPS-enabled wristbands that ensure guests can be located and sprinklers that dispense warmer water for those with sensitivity to cold.

The best part of it all? Admission is free for people with special needs.

More accessible additions are currently being planned, but in the meantime, it seems like a great place to take the kids this summer.

Correction: A previous version of this story listed Houston, Texas as the location of Morgan’s Wonderland. It is located in San Antonio, Texas.


[H/T] Univision

READ: This Powerful Story Got Everyone At The ESPYs On Their Feet


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After 16 Years Of Working And Always Paying His Taxes With No Criminal Record, This Father Has Been Deported

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After 16 Years Of Working And Always Paying His Taxes With No Criminal Record, This Father Has Been Deported

Eric Lara / GoFundMe
By Jorge Rodriguez-Jimenez July 19, 2017 at 4:18 pm

Jesus Lara Lopez, a father of four American citizens, has been deported back to Mexico despite not having a criminal record, according to Cleveland.com. Lara, who is 37, first came to the attention of immigration authorities after a police stop in 2008.

ABC News reports that Lara has worked consistently since arriving in the U.S., taking any job to make sure his family was supported. He has never been on food stamps, and he has always paid his taxes. Even after a 2011 order for removal, Lara Lopez was allowed to live and work in the U.S. ABC News reports that Lara Lopez’ most recent job was working the night shift at a Pepperidge Farm factory, where he packaged cookies and crackers. It was also confirmed that he had a valid work permit before starting the job in October 2016.

“These are the darkest times in our nation,” David Leopold, Lara Lopez’ attorney, told the press at the airport, according to Cleveland.com. “I contacted the governor and Mike DeWine, but it did no good. This good man is being deported and I have to ask how this makes our country any safer.”

Lara Lopez found out he was being removed after a check-in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in March. His deportation is an example of the Trump administration’s crackdown on “illegal immigration,” according to ABC News. Back in June, the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and former acting general counsel of the Department of Homeland Security John Sandweg released a statement via America’s Voice criticizing ICE’s decision to deport Lara Lopez.

“Cases like this are an incredible waste of ICE resources that only make it harder for the agency to identify and remove dangerous criminals. Our limited enforcement resources should be focused first on finding criminals and public safety threats not arresting and deporting non-criminals, like Jesus Lara Lopez, who has lived here for years, dutifully paid his taxes, and is the primary caregiver to four U.S. citizen children,” reads Sandweg’s statement on America’s Voice. “The administration’s focus on the low hanging fruit of the enforcement system only allows the bad guys to remain at large, weakening our public safety.”

The family has set up a GoFundMe page asking for help with bills while Lara Lopez looks for a new job in Mexico. If you would like to help the Lara Lopez family, you can visit their GoFundMe page here.

You can watch Jesus Lara Lopez telling his kids goodbye below.


READ: An Undocumented Mother Of 3 Is Facing Deportation Back To Mexico For A Misdemeanor Committed 7 Years Ago

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