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GILBERT, Ariz. (KSAZ) - Life hasn't exactly been easy for Parker Canter. The four-year-old boy is paralyzed from the chest down. Parker, however, is very determined.
Every morning, Parker asks his mother many questions.
"When's dad getting home?"
"Is there a football game on today?"
And then, a couple more questions.
"Do we have swim lessons today? And then it's Jesus coming today? 'Cause he knows when Jesus comes he'll be able to walk," said Randa Canter, Parker's mother.
Parker was born with Spina Bifida, which left him without feeling or control from the chest down. Despite that, however, Parker has learned to swim.
After a series of "sorry, we can't help you" from other places, Parker's mother got the answer she was looking for, at Evo Swim School.
"Our mission statement, our belief is every child has the same capabilities, and Parker is just the same," said John Hindman, Director of Evo Swim School. "So what I told [Randa] is, 'no problem, bring him in.'"
It wasn't always easy, for Parker or the instructors, who said they were learning while teaching alternative techniques.
"His mom gave me the OK. She said, 'just push him,'" said Jordan Cortez, a swim instructor. "As we kept going, I learned that he is capable of just about everything that anyone else can do, and the fact that he does it with the limitations he has is not only impressive, but inspiring to me and anyone who watches him swim."
After countless lessons and with a fierce determination, Parker proved what those close to him always knew: that sometimes in life, you can't control the waves, but you can learn to swim.