My favorite childhood memory is going to see Winter the dolphin, who is a special needs dolphin. She has a disability just like us. She was also in two Dolphin Tale movies. I admire Winter so much because she tells her story in an inspiring way.
Winter is a female dolphin who got caught in a crab trap while she was out with her pod in the ocean. At the time when this happened, Winter was only three months old. She was taken to Clearwater Aquarium in Clearwater, Florida. They tried to save her tail fin, but unfortunately, it was too much infected that it couldn’t be saved. The only option was to cut off her tail fin. Now, she lives at Clearwater Aquarium with her best friend, Hope.
I went to see Winter because I’ve always loved the movies and wanted to meet this beautiful creature. I have watched both of the Dolphin Tale movies that she was in. Plus, I thought it would be nice to meet a dolphin from the movie. People who have special needs get to swim and be in the pool with Winter. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to do that, but I hope I will in the future.
I feel that Winter and I are the same. Winter has a prosthetic tail fin to help her swim like a normal dolphin. I used to have a prosthetic arm but it didn’t work out for me as it should have. We faced many challenges in our lives and succeeded. We both have the support of family and friends.
About Zoe Hernandez: Zoe lives in Meriden, Connecticut. A Quantum® brand ambassador, Zoe attends Abilities Expos and speaks with people about her disability. She is currently enrolled in college and hopes to work in a community one day with people who are just like her. Click here to learn more about Zoe.