Boundless Joy

Courtney Faye Smith sat on a teeter-totter and held on tight as her mother gently pushed her up and down. Although the 3 1/2-year-old San Clemente girl appeared tentative on the seesaw, her mother, Christina Smith, was ecstatic.

“It’s awesome,” she said, placing her daughter back in her wheelchair. “She’s never had the chance to play. She’s always had to watch from the sidelines. Now she can play.”

Courtney Faye was among 200 children gathered at Griffith Park for the opening Thursday of “Shane’s Inspiration,” a playground designed for disabled children.

The new playground on a 2-acre parcel near the merry-go-round at Park Center is the brainchild of Scott Williams and Catherine Curry-Williams of Valley Village, who lost their newborn son, Shane Alexander, to spinal muscular atrophy, a disorder that would have left him severely disabled had he lived.

“I feel full and happy and blessed that everyone could be here today to celebrate this,” said Curry-Williams, watching children swing, seesaw and roll through a castle with wheelchair-level controls, tables and play centers. Since Shane’s death in April 1997, the Williamses and close friend Tiffany Harris worked to win city, corporate and private support for a play area where all children could play together.

Boundless Playgrounds, a Bloomfield, Conn.-based nonprofit organization, assisted the Williamses.

Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Feuer helped the group win city approvals to build the wheelchair-friendly playground. The councilman introduced a motion this week that would make all city playgrounds “boundless.”

Mayor Richard Riordan joined the effort by requesting that $900,000 be included in the 2000-2001 city budget for a second boundless playground at the Hansen Dam recreation area in Lake View Terrace. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2001.

Curry-Williams said the Griffith Park and Hansen Dam playgrounds will serve as models for future playgrounds.

A look of amazement spread across Helen Hartel’s face as she watched able-bodied and disabled children romp on the playground equipment.

Christina Smith said that watching her daughter enjoy the playground made the 60-mile drive from San Clemente worthwhile. “It was worth the ride. Hopefully, there’ll be more parks built soon.”