In 1922, at the age of two, Petey's distraught parents commit him to the
state's insane asylum, unaware that their son is actually suffering from
severe cerebral palsy. Bound by his wheelchair and struggling to
communicate with the people around him, Petey finds a way to remain kind
and generous despite the horrific conditions in his new "home." Through
the decades, he befriends several caretakers but is heartbroken when
each eventually leaves him. Determined not to be hurt again, he vows to
no longer let hope of lifelong friends and family torment him.
That changes after he is moved into a nursing home and meets a young
teen named Trevor Ladd; he sees something in the boy and decides to risk
friendship one last time. Trevor, new to town and a bit of a loner, is
at first weary of the old man in the wheelchair. But after hearing more
of his story, Trevor learns that there is much more to Petey than meets
the eye.
Petey is a touching story of friendship, discovery, and the uplifting
power of the human spirit.