Hermiston 4-year-old Camiryn Culp loves riding her bike, but she has never been able to ride with her twin brother, Carsyn, after medical problems confined him to a wheelchair.

To solve that problem, their mother, Aubbree Padilla, is raising funds to purchase a tandem three-wheeled bike with a wheelchair in front that she could pedal as her twins ride side by side.

“I think it would help Carsyn enjoy life better and, of course, his sister,” Padilla said. “That’s one of her little dreams is being able to ride with her brother instead of him being pushed in his wheelchair. She always asks, ‘Mom, why can’t Carsyn ride his bike with me?’ She’s 4 and a half, and she’s curious as ever. It just breaks my heart to hear her say that and want to ride with him. It’s just not the same with him being in a stroller or his wheelchair.”

Carsyn’s health problems began when he was almost 2 and an MRI revealed he had a brain tumor. Doctors removed the mass in April of 2012, and, following surgery, Carsyn appeared to be recovering.

“He came out walking, talking and everything was normal,” Padilla said. “We got to go home on the fifth day (after the surgery), and on the sixth morning he had a major stroke on both sides of his brain. The stroke is basically why he can’t talk, why he can’t walk and, basically, isn’t normal anymore. We still don’t know what happened. The doctors call Carsyn really unique because they have talked to doctors all over the U.S., and they have never heard of this happening.”

After Carsyn’s stroke, doctors said he would probably only live eight to 12 months. At 4 and a half, however, he has exceeded their expectations.

“Carsyn has had a rough road,” Padilla said. “He’s beaten the odds so far, and he’s lived a year and a half past the doctor’s expectancy. He’s a little fighter. They basically said he would be brain dead, which he’s not. He still smiles. The only way he communicates is he cries, but he still enjoys stuff just like any other little kid does. His dad (Derek Culp) and myself basically gave him the chance of showing us what he could do instead of taking him home to let him die peacefully like the doctors said that we should have. It’s pretty amazing to see how he shows us every day how strong he is.”

Carsyn Culp visits a doctor in Portland each month, and a recent hip surgery has made him more comfortable.

“With him not walking, his hips basically popped out, both of them, so they went in and screwed them back into place, and he’s doing amazing with it,” Padilla said. “He seems to be so much more happy, more comfortable.”

She hopes he will soon enjoy the fresh air in his face when he is strapped into the wheelchair bike, which costs about $5,500 including shipping. The family has already raised more than half of the funds needed. According to the GoFundMe website created to purchase the bike, 33 people have contributed $3,160 in 15 days.

“It’s amazing how many people have stepped in and already donated,” Padilla said. “I’m hopeful, very hopeful that we’ll be able to reach that goal. It will give him and his sister something else to bond over, so that’s one of the really big reasons why I hope that we reach our goal.”

Padilla said Carsyn’s medical problems have been difficult, but she hopes the wheelchair bike will provide the opportunity to interact as a family.

“I have my good days and bad, but Derek and I love our kids, so we’ll do anything for them,” she said. “That’s basically how we cope with it. Some days are tougher than others, but it’s brought our family closer in so many ways.”

To donate or learn more about the fundraising campaign, visit http://www.gofundme.com/carsyns-bike.