FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – From Abbey Road, to The Eiffel Tower, to an ancient Irish isle- a Fort Wayne man saw it all in a backpack. Kevan Chandler has Spinal Muscular Atrophy, and was getting ready to travel Europe while his friends carried him in a backpack.
Kevan is back but his journey is not over.
“[We] spent a week in France, a week in England and a week in Ireland.” Kevan said. “Every single one was unbelievable.”
Kevan got a perspective of the world a lot of us will never have. The 30-year-old went on his trip of a lifetime while his friends carried him in a backpack.
“We got so many different looks,” Kevan said.
Some people asked what they were doing, but traveling with seven guys, one in a backpack, and a documentary crew what they were doing was obvious to most people.
“I think my favorite was when people would see us from a distance and I would notice they were kind of watching us and after a while they’d just kind of smile and do their own thing,” Kevan said.
Narrowing down his favorite part of the trip was probably the hardest question Kevan was asked.
“Everyone asks me what my favorite part is I still have no idea,” Kevan said. “Whether it was dancing in the streets in Paris or hanging with gypsies on the Seine River.”
The three week trip is over, and Kevan is back in Fort Wayne. His work isn’t done though. Now he wants to help others fulfill their dreams.
“So what that looks like is we are working with a few families who have kids with disabilities and helping them design backpacks for their kids,” Kevan said.
A documentary is in the works and Kevan plans to write a book about the trip. He hopes the true art is what is left in the minds of those who saw him on his European adventure.
“So much of our role was to build intrigue and get people thinking,” Kevan said.
The group Kevan and his friends created is called “We Carry Kevan.”.You can find out more on how you can get involved on its Facebook page, website and Instagram account. Although Kevan is focusing on helping others right now, the group does want to do another trip. They’re thinking China so they can walk some of the Great Wall.