Marty's Trip to Florida
 Story by Lead Support Professional, Elizabeth Mosena
 
 
South Dakota Achieve’s mission is "to find innovative ways for people with disabilities to achieve their dreams." Recently, with the help of Marty's family and the staff from South Dakota Achieve,  he was able to make one of his dreams come true by taking a trip to Florida. 

Looking at the pictures of Marty on his vacation, it is hard to believe not long ago he was facing some major health challenges. In 2004, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Kidney Failure.
 

Fortunately, in August of 2007, Marty health began to improve after receiving a kidney transplant. Since then, his health has substantially improved - allowing him the ability to travel again!
 

Many people came together to help Marty achieve his dream. Over the course of two months, the group carefully planned and prepared for the trip. Some of the preparations included gathering appropriate medical documentation and finding a way to get his medications and vitals equipment through airport security.  Collaboratively, the group was able to overcome every obstacle that stood in the way. The smile on Marty's face when he arrived in Florida made everything worthwhile.
 
While Marty was in Florida, he able to enjoy many different things for the first time. Among these things include eating fresh seafood. He also had the opportunity to attend two Twin's spring training games. As a life-long Twin's fan, this brought Marty great joy, especially since they won one of the two games they played. He was able to capture many great photos of the players, coaches, and even the mascot during the games.  Marty recalls, "The stadium food was great too!"

In addition to attending the games, Marty spent a lot of time on the beach enjoying the warm weather.

In the afternoons, you could often find him basking in the sun along the sandy, white beaches of the Gulf of Mexico. He especially liked to sit by the ocean and let the warm water lap at his feet.

Thanks to the help of many people, Marty's trip was a huge success! He looks forward to traveling again soon.