Our Story

James  Barnett was born June 27, 1960 and is the son of George and Dorothy Barnett. James lived a very active and adventurous childhood. At the age of 12 James was diagnosed with FSH muscular dystrophy. This news gave James a determination to beat the odds and he refused to surrender. In 1980 James become wheelchair bound. Once again James made a decision not to surrender. A year later James married Rose whom he met a year earlier in college. Over the next ten years James and Rose would expand their new formed family with four children: Benjamin, Sara, Joel and Rachel. The Barnett family involved themselves in many charitable undertakings over the years. In the late nineties tragedy struck again. Rose would be the recipient of the next assault of physical disease. Rose was diagnosed with atrophy of the spine. This unknown disease fast tracked her physical disability from cane to walker to wheelchair to bed over the next eight years. James now faced not only with his own disease, but his wifes as well, began to spiral into an unforgiving depression. James once again found the strength to fight back. This time the source of inspiration would come from a dream to take an adventure with his two sons. Out of this dream, these three men wanted to share this source of strength with other families. Wheelbound Adventures is the vehicle that James , Ben and Joel desire to establish so that they may reach out and share sholdering the burdens of others. Wheelbound Adventures will be a non-profit organization staffed with caring and able individuals who have a desire to make a meaningful contribution to those in need. In addition Wheelbound will have medical personnel on staff to facilitate the needs of their clients.

    
       This pilot adventure from Canada to Mexico is designed to not only provide a rich and rewarding adventure for James , Ben and Joel, it is to be the springboard to launch awareness and raise funding to start Wheebound Adventures. The ultimate goal is to : " Leave no adventurer behind ".