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Wheelchair kid stranded by Air Canada after tweet-a-thon
An eight-year-old kid suffering from muscular dystrophy had a simple dream: to race through Central Park in a tutu surrounded by a group of supporters. After a tweet-a-thon, anchored on the hashtag #TutusForTanner (the kid's name is Tanner) resulted in $25,000, he hopped a plane for New York. The trip ended with the discovery that his $15,000 wheelchair had been ruined during the flight.
Tanner was stranded. He couldn't go anywhere without a replacement.
Air Canada promised an immediate remedy – who wouldn't? – but hours passed and no wheelchair materialized at LaGuardia. And, the airline has said it can't fix the situation until Monday. Tanner is not in Central Park. Rather, he's stuck in a hotel bed, possibly for up to five days. Until Air Canada comes through, Tanner isn't going anywhere.
Also, wheelchairs. But fingers crossed that's sorted properly. Delirious. Going to curl up & cry, & sleep. Love to you all #tutusfortanner
Catherine Connors
herbadmother
Needless to say, Twitter is upset – well, specifically the people on Twitter. The folks who tweeted to send Tanner to Manhattan are now livid that Air Canada, according to TechEye.net, "has dashed the hopes of a dying child and ruined what could have been a joyous moment in his last remaining days."
Fortunately, the Twitter-verse seems to be focused on getting a replacement wheelchair for the kid, though it appears that the situation hasn't been fixed yet. Notes the article, "The #TutusForTanner campaign is still ongoing, growing, and welcoming more support." Meanwhile, Air Canada still hasn't done anything, according to the report.
Filed under: North America, Canada, United States, Airlines, News
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
Carolina Aug 9th 2010 1:07AM
Clearly you don't understand how this works - someone with this condition would remain in their wheelchair right up to the plane, would be helped into their seat and then the wheelchair would be stored where all other similar items are (like strollers etc). This item should never be anywhere near a conveyor belt, so if it was I'd like to know why, because I don't know anyone who could be without this kind of wheelchair with this disease, except for when they were safely in their airline seat. This means they had to have damaged it during flight and removal from the aircraft perhaps - I know they aren't always careful as my stroller managed to be broken in the same way, but at least I could get a new one easily. I hope this story is as bogus as some of the details seem to be, or is at least resolved already!
hey you Aug 9th 2010 3:18AM
way to be just as dumb as the people you are accusing, racist pig.
Abraxus Aug 9th 2010 1:13AM
GOOD NEWS!!!!!! They fixed the wheelchair:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-10895108
After more pressure from Twitter users - who said tweeting was a waste of time!
John Aug 9th 2010 2:38AM
As a handicapped person myself my heart goes otu to Tanner. This should be a wake up call to ALL airlines wht disabled passengers are not people to treat as idiots or an inconveniece. I have been treated with contempt by TSA and United for daring to wear my prosthetic leg and then having the balls to refuse to be treated like a piece of meat. TSA espeiocally in Logan and Mid contintnet have tried to have me take my leg off to be sent thorugh thier x ray scanner. My reply is if I take mine off you take yours off. Itis humilitaitng to be subjected to a strip search every time you get on a flight I doubt the rest of you would put up with it but we handicaped are faced with this every time we fly! Thanks alot Muslims for ruining a once pleasurable expeirence for me.