Milton boy hoping for new wheels

Douglas Mast is much like any teenage boy: He loves to run around, play video games and hang out with his friends.

“He's sweet, he's very ornery and he likes to joke around,” said his older sister, Allie. “And he likes egg rolls.”

The 15-year-old Cape Henlopen High School freshman enjoys being outdoors, but because of knee problems and balance issues, riding a regular bike is nearly impossible, said his mother, Carol Mast.

“We've always treated him just as we would any other kid that's in the family,” she said. “We've never made him think that he's different. He makes sure he fits himself in wherever we go.”

Mast recently was researching good causes, she said, when she came across the Great Bike Giveaway, a charity drive organized by the Michigan-based nonprofit Friendship Circle. The drive, now in its sixth year, helps provide adaptive bikes for children with special needs, like Douglas, who has Down syndrome. Participants have one month – from Feb. 15 through March 15 – to raise money for bicycles designed for children with special needs.

For Douglas, that means a specific recumbent bike. Normally the bike would cost about $500, Carol Mast said, but through the Great Bike Giveaway, which works with manufacturers for discounts, it will cost $325. By March 5, Douglas hit his fundraising goal and is guaranteed to get the bike he needs and wants. Any additional funds raised through his campaign will go toward a pot of money for other participants in the Great Bike Giveaway who are unable to meet their goal.

“You think $300 isn't a lot, but when it's all at once, it can be tough,” she said. “It feels weird to ask for help, but I don't know how else to do this because it's a great opportunity. He wants to keep up with the rest of the kids and do what they do. Every kid wants to ride a bike.”

The bike will allow Douglas to keep up with his friends, and will also provide an excellent source of exercise, she said.

“His knee issues aren't going to go away,” she said, adding the bike they hope to get was recommended by his doctor. “We know the bike's not going to outgrow him. It's going to last him quite a long time.”

It'll also help him keep up with 24-year-old Allie, who likes to skateboard and offered to put a basket on the bike so Douglas can carry around her dog, Piglet.

“All aboard!” Douglas said in approval of the idea.

Talking about knee surgery Douglas is facing, the smile on Carol's face remains constant. Sitting next to her son on their couch in their Milton home, Carol dotes on her youngest child, who she said has never been a burden despite challenges with his health, speech and learning.

“He's a blessing,” she said. “He's taught us so much. He shows us how we all should live.”

For more about the Great Bike Giveaway campaign, which ends Wednesday, March 15, go to bikes.friendshipcircle.org/TheUnstoppableDouglas.