Kenny (surname withheld) became the centre of a community campaign late last year when his CareSouth carers started an appeal to get him a beach wheelchair.

Kenny was one happy young man last week when he got to use his new chair for the first time.

Kenny loves the water but before he got the new chair he rarely got to go for a swim.

He also loves touching the sand.

His CareSouth carers Mick Blattner and Rebekah Dempsey started the successful My Cause appeal and members of the community and various groups chipped into the help raise the $5000 Kenny needed to get the wheelchair.

Mr Blattner said the chair went well.

“Today was a day to see how it goes and it passed its first test and it went through some tough stuff there on Culburra Beach,” he said.

Mr Blattner said seeing the chair made Kenny’s day.

“The minute he saw it he knew what it was and started clapping and smiling for swimming. He also loves touching the sand and today is just so exciting,” he said

Mr Blattner is looking forward to a warmer day and calmer water so he can take Kenny for a longer stay at the beach

“The Shoalhaven community is just awesome they get behind things like this and a lot of people know about Kenny in the community,” he said.

He would like to thank the cricket and rugby league communities, Graeme Dudgeon from Ray White who raised a fair amount to the cause and each member of the community who donated.

“I can’t thank the CareSouth employees enough and most of the people who work there donated because they all know Kenny,” he said.

Things at one stage were not looking good.

“Just after Christmas we were stuck for $1500 and I got a call from Mark Robson from the Glen McPherson Memorial Golf Day trust and he said how much is needed? I told him $1500 and he said consider it done and they were amazing to come up with $1500 and it just came out of nowhere,” he said.

“It just a great thing and $5000 is not just small change - it’s a fair amount.”

He said Kenny’s life is now totally different because of the generosity  of the general public and everyone else who support the cause.

“It’s brilliant - that is for sure,”  Mr Blattner said.

Ms Dempsey was feeling pretty emotional because of Kenny’s sheer delight

“It was just magic to see him getting pushed to the beach and Kenny knew what was going on and it’s great that we achieve this goal for him,” she said.

She is happy Kenny now has more joy in his life.