A disabled dad who cannot carry
his daughter in the normal way has come up with an ingenious method to
lift her up when they are on the move.
Like any 20-month-old toddler, Esther Souza gets a but tired from
walking around - so her dad Manoel Izo lets her climb onto his crutches
and ride on them while he walks.
Brave Manoel, who has two older
children, aged 11 and 13, has used this method of carrying his kids
around since when they were little as well.
The 43-year-old has been unable to walk unaided since suffering from polio when he was four-years-old.
But he hasn’t let it get in the way of his daddy duties and is only
too happy to let his children climb onto his crutches for a wander round
the shops.
A clip of him in a shopping centre in Acre, Brazil, has now gone viral and he has been flooded with praise from viewers.
Manoel said: “I was surprised at
the reaction because I have always carried my kids like this, letting
them stand on the crutch, it’s a habit.
“I started using crutches when I was a 10-year-old so I don’t even really think about them anymore.
"I have a paralysed leg but I can move the other a bit. Whenever my daughter is tired, she gets on the crutch and joins me.
“People look up to see us and yes they sometimes ask to take pictures and videos which I don’t mind agreeing to.”
Little Esther has now developed a good sense of balance by riding the crutch and has never fallen off.
Manoel added: "No matter where
you carry the children, if it is in your arms, on your back or with your
legs, the important thing is to load them on to your heart, to protect
them and give them love and affection.”