Teenager, 14, with cerebral palsy celebrates visiting 30 countries with his loving family as he refuses to let his condition hinder his passion for travel
- Boy, 14, with cerebral palsy has visited more than 30 countries with his family
- Cooper Smith has Dystonic Quadriplegia Cerebral Palsy and is in a wheelchair
- The brain damage affects his mobility and speech, his intellectual ability is fine
- His family went to Singapore when he was 18 months old and haven't stopped
- They have now visited 30 countries and have plans to visit even more this year
A 14-year-old boy with cerebral palsy and a passion for travelling has refused to let his condition stop him from seeing the world, as he and his family have already visited 30 countries.
Cooper Smith, from Melbourne, suffered complications during his birth, causing him to suffer from brain damage, affecting his mobility and speech.
Cooper now has Dystonic Quadriplegia Cerebral Palsy and needs a wheelchair to travel around, but the condition has no hindrance on his intellectual ability.
Australian Cooper Smith (pictured with his family in Tallinn, Estonia) suffered complications during his birth, causing him to suffer from brain damage, affecting his mobility and speech
The 14-year-old has refused to let his condition stop him from seeing the world, as he and his family have already visited 30 countries, and around Australia (pictured above on Victoria's Coast)
The family have found themselves on every side of the world, visiting places such as Inida, Mongolia, Sweden, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.
Cooper's mother, Bronwyn Leeks, credits the family's success in travel to a positive outlook and lots of planning.
'I would never say any trip is impossible as we are pretty set on never saying never,' the 43-year-old said.
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'Of course Cooper's wheelchair makes it difficult but honestly it's what we know and what we do so it's just part of the travel.'
While Ms Leeks admits some days are tough, she says the family chooses to 'do things a little differently' and challenge themselves in order to get rewarding results.
'All disabilities are so very different so one person will not have the exact same needs as another,' she explained.
Cooper is an avid foodie and loves to try new foods, especially on his travels (pictured with his dad, Andrew)
The family are all heading to Myanmar on their next globetrotting adventure later this year
'Cooper is in a position where he can walk a little himself and self-transfer so that makes things a lot easier as far as getting on a plane.'
While travelling around a destination is easy for Cooper and his family, they have found that getting there is the hardest part.
'The airline industry needs a lot more training on helping support everyone to access a flight I think, especially the bathrooms,' Ms Leeks said.
'Some people say "I don't know how you do it" to which we reply "why wouldn't we?"'
Cooper now has Dystonic Quadriplegia Cerebral Palsy and needs a wheelchair to travel around, but the condition has no hindrance on his intellectual ability
The Melbourne-based family have found themselves on every side of the world, visiting places such as Inida, Mongolia, Sweden, New Zealand and Sri Lanka
'Cooper is our child and like his siblings deserves to explore the world. He's a foodie and loves being on holiday, especially in Europe.'
The family wasn't always addicted to travel and it was actually Cooper's condition that ignited their globetrotting.
When Cooper was just 18 months old, the family travelled to Singapore for treatment, and from there the family decided to keep seeing more of the world.
'I think it is essential to step outside your comfort zone. I believe very strongly in showing the kids difference in all forms and challenging ourselves,' Ms Leeks said.
When Cooper was just 18 months old, the family travelled to Singapore for treatment, and from there the family decided to keep seeing more of the world
Cooper's favourite trip so far was taking in Europe, where he visited the UK, Sweden, Denmark, Estonia and many more countries on his grand tour
Being both an avid foodie and traveller, Cooper combines his two loves by running a foodie Instagram. He's even modelled for major Australian retailer, Kmart.
Cooper and his family are proof that it's worth taking a jump and going on a grand adventure, no matter how intimidating it can be.
'You can only plan so much so why not just take the chance. It doesn't have to be overseas either it can be an hour down the road as long as you are doing something different,' Ms Leeks said.
In a recent trip to Asia, the family explored seven countries and say they learnt a lot about themselves and how they work together while exploring.
'We stayed in a Mongolian Ger, walked the Great Wall of China, enjoyed night markets in Taiwan, visited flower fields in Japan, and saw orangutans in Borneo,' Cooper's mother said.
Cooper's mother, Bronwyn Leeks, credits the family's success in travel to a positive outlook and lots of planning
Being both an avid foodie and traveller, Cooper combines his two loves by running a foodie Instagram
'I love taking photos of the kids engaging in new surroundings. I like showing people that even though we travel a little differently we have heaps of passion to explore.'
'It's not so much the destination but more the people you will meet, the new experiences, the food, the culture and you'll no doubt learn more about yourself than you would staying at home.'
Despite looking amazing in the photographs, the journey doesn't come without a few speedbumps.
While in China, the family almost lost Cooper's sister, Pepper, 10, when the doors shut behind her on a train, as the rest of her family stood on the platform.
'The doors shut and off she went! No doubt the longest 10 minutes of my life,' Ms Leeks said.
Despite looking amazing in the photographs, the journey doesn't come without a few speedbumps
While Ms Leeks admits some days are tough, she says the family chooses to 'do things a little differently' and challenge themselves in order to get rewarding results (pictured in China)
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