We have four children: Charlotte, François-Xavier, Antoine, and Mathilde. Charlotte is our eldest. She is profoundly disabled and depends on another person for 100% of her care.
The day we learned that her life would never be the one we had imagined, we made a decision that would define our entire family.
If our life could no longer be ordinary, then it would be extraordinary.
We gave up none of our dreams. On the contrary, we lived in French Polynesia, in Martinique, and then spent eight years in the United States. Alban served as an officer in the French Navy throughout all those years. I became a professional coach.
And wherever life took us, one promise remained unchanged: Charlotte would always be part of the adventure. She would never be left behind.
Disability could have confined us. Instead, it made us freer. Bolder. More alive.
We kept traveling, walking, exploring, dreaming. We sought out trails, mountains, and wide open spaces. We always wanted to try, always wanted to go further.
Yes, it was hard. It took more time, more organization, more energy. There were moments of exhaustion, doubts, and immense obstacles. But we never gave up our thirst for freedom and adventure. Because Charlotte taught us that the most beautiful landscapes are often hidden beyond the most demanding paths.
In February 2023, a friend sent me a video on Instagram of the Cascade Cart. I watched it for a few seconds… and I knew immediately. This was it. This was what we needed. What we had been waiting for for twenty-five years.
In April 2025, we became the first family to receive a Cascade Cart. Our planned road trip to Texas then became an entirely different adventure. For the first time in a long time, we were no longer limited to parking lots or overlooks.
We could finally push open the door to the great outdoors. We rolled through rivers. Crossed beaches. Climbed sand dunes. Made our way along trails we had once thought were forever out of reach.
We felt as though we were giving Charlotte back a part of her freedom. As if, at last, she were getting her legs back. We had tears in our eyes almost every day. It was not just a piece of equipment. It was freedom regained. A new way of living together. A new way of dreaming.
Without question, the Cascade Cart changed our lives.
And behind this invention is LJ and his entire family. They are no longer simply the creators of an extraordinary chair. They are now part of our conversations, our memories, our story. In a way, they are part of our family. We are endlessly grateful to them.
This summer, we will set off on a new great chapter. We will walk together, with Charlotte, François-Xavier, Antoine, and Mathilde, joined by Domitille, our son François-Xavier’s fiancée, who is stepping into this family adventure with us.
One month. 500 kilometers. From Florence to Rome, along the Via Francigena. This pilgrimage will be our way of giving thanks. Giving thanks for Charlotte’s first twenty-five years. Giving thanks for all the friendships we have found in our lives. Giving thanks for everyone who has walked beside us.
For every mountain climbed, whether made of stone or of life. This journey will also mark the turning of a page. The United States will forever remain the most beautiful years of our family life.
We are now returning to Paris. Alban is leaving the Navy.
A new chapter begins.
Envoyé de mon
The Morel Famaily
