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6 Frat Boys Carry Fellow Student With Cerebral Palsy to Top of Mountain

Published  September 5, 2016 5:53pm EDT
News
FOX 29 Philadelphia

(INSIDE EDITION) DeAsia Romes, a University of Central Arkansas student who has cerebral palsy, was able to reach the top of the Pinnacle Mountain in Little Rock, thanks to six fraternity members.

Phi Gamma Delta members Benjamin Richards, Hayden Murry, Steven Bowen, Corey Pillow, Landon Bear and Ceasar Ramirez allowed Romes to ditch her wheels and gave her a piggyback ride she'll cherish forever.

The 22-year-old student, who struggles with muscle coordination as a result of her disorder, told InsideEdition.com she's wanted to climb the mountain for a while.

"I was a little nervous," she said. "I was like, 'I don't know if this is safe' but then I thought we're just going to be spontaneous and go with it. I'm just a very adventurous person."

It was Richards who first suggested the idea to Romes. The 22-year-old, who met Romes in gym class, said he read about another fraternity carrying a quadriplegic member up the Appalachian Mountains and he was inspired to do something similar.

At first, he suggested carrying Romes in a hammock, but the team ultimately decided it would be too draining and would just take turns carrying her.

Last week, they put their plan into action.

"I liked encouraging them," Romes said. "We shared so many laughs."

One-by-one, they carried her up the 1.3-mile trail. Richards said it was not an easy task and the group was relieved once they reached the peak of the mountain.

And the journey was not without its rewards.

"My favorite part was her reaction," he told InsideEdition.com. "Also seeing her enthusiasm,"

For Romes, words aren't enough to describe her feelings when they reached the summit. When she saw the sky stretching in front of her, she felt limitless.

"Motivation is more important than ability in terms of achievement," she said.

The members of Phi Gamma Delta, also known as FIJI, said they aren't your typical frat boys.

"We don't want to be known for parties," Richards said. "We want to be known [for our] service."

This won't be their last act of kindness. Richards said the fraternity is now planning to take some of Romes' friends, who also have disabilities, up the Pettijean Mountain, also in Arkansas.