Child becomes Yosemite Ranger

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I CONNECTED WITH THIS VIDEO for a few reasons. I was drawn to the story of Gabriel, who was able to experience the job of a Park Ranger at Yosemite National Park, through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Gabriel suffers from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which is characterized by “extremely loose joints, hyperelastic skin that bruises easily, and easily damaged blood vessels.” His enthusiasm for nature, and his desire to be surrounded by it, shows that there are still kids in the world who want a life beyond video games and text messaging.

The video footage of Gabriel’s experience is what also caught my attention. I love how Chris McKechnie was able to capture the entire day in a special way, that not only shows what Gabriel did at Yosemite, but shared his story as well. Apparently a CBS news team got priority access, so McKechnie had to work with the moments he could get, but I’d say he made a much more compelling video than whatever the local news channel might have captured.