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Drake might wanna reconsider the hatred he reportedly had for his ‘Degrassi’ character being in a wheelchair — because lots of kids in wheelchairs actually felt validated thanks to his portrayal.
Madeline Robinson, executive director of Wheelchair 4 Kids, tells TMZ … she hopes the rapper knows his role as Jimmy Brooks on ‘Degrassi’ really helped a lot of young people.
She says he actually made them kind of cool and, though he might not have known it, he instilled confidence and made their lives a little better. Robinson says Drake’s character brought much-needed representation.
She explains … kids in wheelchairs are often left out of things like getting invited to birthday parties or movies. She asked, “When was the last time you went to a mall and saw a kid in a wheelchair hanging out with other kids?” Sadly, she says it’s rare.
ICYMI … a writer of the Canadian teen drama show recently claimed Drake threatened to quit and took legal action against the show to get a rewrite, removing Jimmy’s character from the wheelchair.
The writer claimed Drake made the demand because he worried it made him look soft. Jimmy was left paralyzed after a shooting, but ultimately underwent stem cell surgery … allowing his character to stand with crutches in the season 7 finale.
It should be noted … the show’s writer also added that Drake relented and agreed that his character being in a wheelchair was a powerful moment on TV.
Robinson, whose org strives to give physically disabled kids a better quality of life, agrees … saying, “It is great when we see our kids being represented.” Ditto.