5-21-26-Victory Lane INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Brett Fischer, a practicing pediatric physical therapist, has seen what happens when a child with a disability becomes the center of a family’s entire world, not out of malice but out of necessity. Siblings are often overlooked, marriages can strain , and the family unit — the very foundation that helps a child thrive — can begin to crack. That reality is what led Fischer to found Victory Lane. “It’s great to have a kid that makes progress,” Fischer said, “but they make more progress when the family sticks together.” There are programs and resources for the kid with disability.  What sets Victory Lane apart is who else it invites. The organization deliberately brings in families whose children do not have disabilities and equips them to welcome, accept and build real relationships with the families who do. “We embrace them, we empower them, and we equip them,” Fischer said. Victory Lane runs summer camps and year-round events designed to deepen those relationships long after camp ends. The goal is not a one-time experience but an ongoing community. Fischer said the need is urgent. Thousands of Indiana families with children who have disabilities quietly withdraw from public life, not because they want to, but because the weight of daily life makes it easier to stay home. “They put themselves in their own silo,” he said. “Just because of the overwhelm that they live.” One of the most striking things Fischer has observed through Victory Lane is how children without disabilities respond when they grow up alongside children who have them. Kids with disabilities, he said, often have no concept of their own condition. They simply live their lives. And when typical kids are introduced to them young, something shifts. “A typical kid that grows up with these kids — they don’t see the disability at all,” Fischer said. “And it’s pretty powerful to watch that happen.” Fischer mentions that there is a social direction for typical children into sports and extracurricular activities, but there is little to no space in society where typically and atypically developing children grow together. Victory Lane started in Henry County, in the New Castle area, where Fischer said a growing ministry has taken root. Now, the organization has its sights set on every county in Indiana. The plan is to hire area directors in counties across the state, building what Fischer calls “an army of people that care.” He is clear that legislation alone cannot drive the kind of change he is after. “You can’t legislate compassion,” Fischer said, “but you can open the eyes of the Indiana people. I honestly believe Indiana wants to make a place where everybody feels welcome.” Victory Lane’s next major event is set for June 13 at Sherwood Oaks Christian Church in Bloomington, Indiana. The outdoor fundraiser will feature a car show and a live concert from McKinley Brown — an artist with a personal connection to the organization. Brown grew up as part of a Victory Lane partner family, attending camps as a child. Photos of her participating in Victory Lane events are featured on the organization’s website. Fischer said the goal is to fill the church parking lot with a few hundred cars, raise money and raise awareness — all with the aim of bringing Victory Lane to Monroe County. For more information, visit victorylanecamp.org. ...read more read less