REFUGIO, Texas — Like most little girls, Bryleigh Silvas loves fashion, and always makes sure her outfits are coordinated before leaving the house.
“Once she picks out her clothes, she has to pick her bow, she has to put on her lip gloss, necklace, bracelet, ring and matching tennis shoes,” said her grandmother Norma Vega.
The 8-year-old makes the honor roll at school, and enjoys meeting new people, her family said.
Bryleigh was born with a rare genetic disorder that affects her nerves, speech, and her ability to move her legs, so like any parent or guardian would, her family often worries about her being included when it comes to interacting with other kids at Refugio Elementary School.
That worry disappeared when Bryleigh's paraprofessional Jessica Jones her grandparents a video that melted their hearts.
"The girls had a jump rope, and so they decided that Bryleigh should jump rope, too," Jones said. "She just laughed and laughed because it was so much fun. The girls always include her in everything."
So how can a child in a wheelchair "jump rope?"
Easily, when the plan is born of a child's imagination. The girls simply swung the jump rope over Bryleigh's head, and when it came time to "jump," they would push her wheelchair over the rope.
Jones became Bryleigh's paraprofessional last school year, and she says since then, they’ve formed a very special bond.
“That first week, it was like a match made in heaven," Jones said. "Her grandma always told me, ‘She is so blessed to have you.’ I said ‘No, I think I am blessed to have her, because she’s just a ray of sunshine.”
Jones always sends Bryleigh's grandparents pictures and videos of Bryleigh to show them what she’s up to, but her grandmother Debbie Stephens said this video was extra-special.
"To say that I cried would be an understatement," she said. "You do worry that she's gonna get picked on, she's gonna be treated differently or anything like that. When we get those videos, it shows us that she's just another kid at school."
Bryleigh's grandfather Raymond Silvas said it meant everything to the family to see his granddaughter being included.
"They went out of their way to make sure she enjoyed the game of jump rope just like they were doing," he said. "To see that smile on her face while they were doing that -- it was real heartwarming."