KEWASKUM -- A Sheboygan mother cannot believe she was not given a full refund, after the way she claims her special needs daughter was treated on a tubing hill.
Aleria Hamilton was born with spina bifida hydrocephalus. Twenty-three surgeries later, she primarily relies on her wheelchair to get around.
"We have always taught her and raised her that despite her different abilities she can do anything she wants," said her mother Nicole Hamilton.
Her mom thought about taking the family of five tubing at Sunburst Winter Sports Park last Saturday.
"I've been a special needs mom for nine years and I know that I need to call ahead," said Hamilton, "She just said that would be fine. We don't normally allow kids to ride up in the tubes but with her different abilities that would be fine."
Aleria says when they first made it there, she and her siblings were having a ball, "It was really fun!"
The Hamiltons claim things took a turn when they tried to go up a different hill. They say an employee told them Aleria had to stand.
"He said, 'I don't care what she has. Rules are rules,'" claims Hamilton.
TODAY'S TMJ4 spoke to a manager with Sunburst Winter Sports Park who told us off camera, that statement never happened. They say the customer in question was using foul language toward their employee.
Hamilton says that is not true, especially with her daughter listening nearby, "I didn't want to say things I didn't mean. I did say, 'I don't think you understand what it's like.'"
Sunburst management let TODAY'S TMJ4 on property to show the rules are clearly posted that you must stand while going up the tubing hill.
Hamilton says she tried to share her side to two different managers.
"I called ahead. I made sure this was okay. We paid $95 for our family to come here. I would like a refund."
After using about 40 minutes of the two hours they paid for, Sunburst management offered to refund two of the family's five tickets.
Hamilton declined, explaining, "I was emotionally just spent and I just walked out. I never got a refund."
The Sunburst manager also told TODAY'S TMJ4 they offered the family to come back to the ski hill for free later this month, during a special needs night event.
