But on Saturday, Emily said going to exotic places like France seems more of a possibility now that a special gift can take her safely beyond the confines of her driveway.

The 6-year-old Northglenn girl became the first person to receive a tandem bike from the new Rush-Miller Foundation. The nonprofit organization donates the two-seater bicycles to blind and visually impaired children so they can experience the freedom and empowerment of independence.

Emily's first crack at exploring that new world was filled with terrified screams and tears while foundation director Eric Miller maneuvered slowly down the street in front of the Tandem Cycle Works shop where the bike was purchased.

Emily, blind from birth, begged for her father, Everett, to run alongside and guide her frenzied pedaling, like he did when she rode her old bike. But the moment quickly gave way to the shaky joy one feels when the roller coaster ride is over.

"I cried the whole time, but I liked it," she said, breathing hard and clinging to her grandmother.

Giving a disabled child a sense of normalcy was what Miller had in mind when he created the organization in March in honor of his son, Garrett, 6. The boy developed a brain tumor that left him visually impaired.

A chance encounter with Matt King, a blind Paralympic tandem cyclist, evaporated Garrett's despondency and convinced his parents that the boy needed a tandem bike of his own. But the cost of a tandem bike, between $1,500 to $2,000, was out of reach for most working-class parents, especially those with special-needs children.

Donations enabled the family to eventually purchase a tandem bike for Garrett, which has renewed the boy's gregariousness and competitive edge.

"Today, Emily's whole world is expanding, and she sees herself doing things she never imagined was possible for her because of her disability," Miller said.

The foundation has grown so much in such a short period that dozens of children across the nation are filling up a waiting list for tandem bikes.

Emily and Garrett allowed the soft touch of their fingers to give them a better feeling of the deep-blue bike.

"I want to go everywhere," Emily said.