LOUDONVILLE — Beth Heath saw a story about the Visual Bucket List Foundation in March, and reached out soon after to find out if the organization could grant a wish for her son, Peter.
Heath’s son, Peter, has Batten Disease. The disease, a rare genetic disorder, prevents his body from getting rid of cellular waste.
He’d already received a “Make-A-Wish.” But Heath had an idea that would bring joy not only to Peter, but to other children too.
Enter: the Visual Bucket List Foundation, based in Mansfield.
The Visual Bucket List Foundation grants wishes to children who have lost or are losing their sight.
According to Steve, many of the wishes it’s granted have included trips and travel.
Christine said the organization began because their own daughter lost her sight. They wanted to help children with similar challenges.
But Heath reached out to them with her idea. She wanted to build a train park in Loudonville that would bear Peter’s name.
After a few months’ time, Peter got to be surprised with “Peter’s Train Park.”
The park, located at Loudonville Church of the Nazarene, opened for the community Tuesday with a ribbon cutting from the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce.
Christine said Peter’s park served as the Visual Bucket List Foundation’s 22nd granted wish.
Building blocks
Christine Myers said after Heath reached out to her, she got in touch with Fred Boll at the Buckeye Imagination Museum.
Boll helped put her in touch with the Adena Corporation, a contractor, and the ball got rolling from there.
Sammy Darling, a part-time design assistant with Adena, designed the train. Wyatt Darling, a carpenter, built it.
Volunteers from Warren Rupp, Inc., stepped up in the final hour to install a fence around the park.
Christine said the project wouldn’t have come together without the help from Adena, Warren Rupp and other area businesses who gave time and materials to the project.
Sammy Darling said Tuesday she felt grateful Adena was part of the process to design the park. Karen Petz, Warren Rupp’s human resources director, and Christine Gfrer, the marketing manager, agreed.
Petz said Warren Rupp prides itself on its employees’ volunteer work, and enjoyed helping with a unique project.
At the end of the day, Wyatt Darling said surprising Peter with the park was the project’s highlight.
“The best part of building the train was getting to see the smile on their faces,” Wyatt Darling said.
Finding joy
The park is accessible for children in wheelchairs. It features a train design children can play in, along with a jungle gym and swing set.
It also has special touches, like painted rocks scattered on the train. Heath said Peter loves painted rocks, and encouraged other children to bring more or trade them at the park. There’s also Braille on the train.
Heath said the park is meant to be a place for the whole village of Loudonville to enjoy.
“I hope a lot of people get to enjoy it, and that more people get to see with more than just their eyes,” Heath said.
(Below are photos from the ribbon cutting.)
