A Sidney, B.C. family is working to make sure their six-year-old son can take part in Halloween, despite a rare medical condition that leaves him unable to talk or walk.
Chad Poole's son Jackson has a rare medical condition that falls under both the cerebral palsy and autism spectrum.
He gets around by crawling and scooting around on his knees. Like most six years olds he loves to dress up, but his costumes take a little more time.
And in the Poole household, nothing tops this holiday.
"Halloween is like Christmas. It trumps Christmas, actually," said Jackson's mother, Tracey. "So we start thinking in the spring what we're going to do for Halloween."
His father Chad Poole says his son misses out on a lot of things children can do, and want to make sure Halloween was a moment Jackson was able to experience.
"He misses out on things that other kids just take for granted, and it's a very festive, colourful fun time when you get to dress up as your heroes," Chad told CTV Vancouver Island.
The costumes have increased in complexity as the years have gone on, and most of them have incorporated Jackson's wheelchair.
Costumes have ranged from Curious George, Scooby Doo and the Mystery Machine, the house from the movie "Up!," as well as Archie Andrews 鈥� of comic book fame 鈥� riding his old jalopy.
This year鈥檚 costume, which they spent hours working on, had a deeper meaning. Jackson is going as a paramedic with an ambulance, and his parents say it鈥檚 their way of saying thanks to the medical staff who have taken care of him. The ambulance costume has working sirens as well as a Bluetooth radio system set to play medical-themed songs.
"At the age of two when he started having seizures, 911 and the ambulance became a big part of our lives," Chad said.
"They've saved my son's life time and time again,鈥� Tracey said.
With a report from CTV Vancouver Island's Chandler Grieve
