Story By: Maja Mishevksa, Sub Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
This is the viral moment a PE teacher helps a boy in a wheelchair stay involved in the class by holding him in his arms so he can do skipping with classmates.
Joao Hoffman, 25, is a PE teacher at the Sitio I school in the municipality of Taubate, in the southeastern Brazilian state of Sao Paulo and saw that seven-year-old Heitor Magalhaes was watching his classmates have fun in the class but could not join in because he is in a wheelchair.
The youngster reportedly asked to join in with a group of classmates skipping and teacher Hoffman then lifted him into the air and began skipping.
In the video, the teacher can be seen holding the youngster in his arms as he jumps over the rope.
Other youngsters can be seen laughing and when Hoffman stops both he and Heitor can be seen grinning from eat-to-ear.
The teacher said: “I always try to work in a way that he can be included, so that the class doesn’t also put limitations in front of him. He is a child with a disability, but I wanted him to have that moment.
“It was a simple gesture, but I know it makes a difference for him.”
The video has gone viral with over 1,5 million views on social media.
The teacher added: “The teachers congratulated me and they are always giving me support to continue this work with the kids. In this school we have nine students with special needs, some of them with autism, others with Down’s Syndrome and others in a wheelchair.
“All of them, with their limitations, participate in the classes and are very loved.”
Heitor’s mother Natalia Nascimento Magalhaes, said: “PE class was always a class that was not much fun (for Heitor), the teachers ended up leaving him out because he is disabled and there was no way to include him.
“Now it’s very different. His favourite days are Tuesday and Thursdays when PE classes are. The work Joao is doing is incredible.”
The ViralTab page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.
