Dad Steps In To Help Disabled Teen Follow Her Passion

There’s nothing better than a high school football game, except maybe a high school football game that features an amazing gesture of love and support from a proud parent.

Kevin Houston is an Omaha dad whose daughter, Eva, loves to play the trumpet. According to Today, Eva joined Westside High School’s band program when she entered as a freshman this fall. She wanted to be a part of the marching band, but she has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair to get around, so it was impossible for her to march in formation and play at the same time. That’s where her dad comes in.

Houston emailed the band director to ask how Eva could participate in the marching band, and the director said all she needed was a partner who could be responsible for learning the formations and pushing her wheelchair. Since then, Eva’s dad leaves his IT job four days a week to attend her band practice with her and learn all the moves for the upcoming games. Every Friday night, he’s there right behind her as she plays on the field at halftime.

Houston tells Today it started out as a nice thing he could do for his daughter, but he’s quickly grown to love it. He was in band throughout high school and college, plus he loves seeing how happy marching makes his daughter, and there’s the added bonus of being included in her life in a way many parents of teens are not.”You drop your kids off at school and you don’t get to experience their day with them,” he says, “so I’m very grateful.”

For her part, Eva tells Live Well Nebraska being able to march with the band makes everything “way more fun,” and that it’s nice to not feel excluded. A video of her talking about what it’s like to have her dad at practice can be found here.

As Eva’s determination to excel in marching band proves, she’s never been one to let anything hold her back. In fact, Live Well reports she also plays basketball, softball, and is currently maintaining a 4.0 GPA. In other words, Eva is a total rockstar student.

There’s clearly nothing Eva can’t handle on her own, but it’s still inspiring to see her dad’s commitment to helping her achieve her goals. He’s found a totally unique way to bond with his daughter while also showing her the definition of devotion, love, and support. Houston is an incredible father and I’m sure Eva will accomplish amazing things given the proud, loving family she has cheering her on.