Shriners Children’s Spokane Patients Roll into Halloween with Custom Wheelchair Costumes

Spokane patients put their creations on display during a wheelchair parade

Shriners Children’s Spokane, in partnership with Eastern Washington University (EWU), created unique and adaptive wheelchair costumes for patients ahead of Halloween.

EWU occupational and physical therapy students transformed patients’ wheelchairs into tricked-out costumes. Patients imagined any costume their heart desired from Link of the Legend of Zelda and his horse, to a Dalmatian in a fire truck!

Staff and students collaborated with families for weeks to conceptualize, design and build the custom, inclusive creations. Then ahead of Halloween, patients showed off their costumes during a parade a River Park Square in downtown Spokane.

Events like this ensure that every child is able to participate in the holiday fun. This partnership is an example of Shriners Children's Spokane's wraparound services going beyond meeting the physical needs of patients, to also meet their social and emotional needs.