At 8 months old, Alec Gotto of Dyersville, Iowa, fell victim to transverse myelitis, a disease that robbed him of the ability to use his arms and legs. Now 14 years old, Gotto lives the life of a cattleman, working on a farm with his parents and siblings. Using a motorized track wheelchair, he pursues his love of working with cattle and has shown at county fairs, the Iowa State Fair and national events.

Gotto’s regular wheelchair was difficult to navigate in the soft dirt of the cattle show ring. This challenge caught the attention of the VGM Group in Waterloo, Iowa, which provides health care-related services. After learning about Gotto, the company donated a powered wheelchair that sits on caterpillar tracks, an innovative design that allows Gotto to move around the farm and show rings with ease. The teenager takes it all in stride as he pursues his passion of being a cattleman.