Few people ever get to meet their role-models straight off the silver-screen. Four-year-old Ashlyn Fowler is one of them.
“I touched Winter. I didn’t swim with her though,” said Ashlyn.
Ashlyn and her mom Trisha Whitehead just returned from a vacation to Florida. The two took a girls trip to meet Winter, a bottlenose dolphin who lost her tail in a crab trap. Her story was recently featured in the movie ‘Dolphin Tale.’
“It was so heartwarming,” said Whitehead. “When she was down there, it was just amazing to see how she connected with Winter.”
Connected, because like Winter who uses a prosthetic tail to help her swim, Ashlyn uses a prosthetic arm due to a congenital birth defect. Ashlyn didn’t used to like to wear her prosthetic arm. Winter changed that.
“It is once in a lifetime,” said Whitehead. “Words can’t express how wonderful the trip was and how much it meant to me and to her. It’ll last forever. Those memories will last forever.”
While in Florida, Mother and daughter also took a trip to Disney World and visited the beach. But above all, Ashlyn’s favorite part was getting to kiss Winter on the nose.
