Inspired by his 9-year-old son, Pierce, Jacob Robinson created an adventure park where children and their parents can interact with construction equipment.
The park is called Dig World.
Dig World gives families and children the opportunity to operate real, full-size construction equipment that is professionally engineered with safety modifications. Dig World is designed for both fun and education and provides an exhilarating hands-on experience.
Born a healthy baby boy in 2015, Pierce contracted bacterial meningitis in 2017. Robinson told ChurchLeaders that he found his son, unconscious, in the crib on a Saturday morning. Pierce spent the next 75 days in the hospital. “Twelve of those,” Robinson said, “Pierce was in a medically induced coma and he wasn’t supposed to live.”
“But the Lord had different plans,” Robinson said. “We got to see many miracles along the way, but the infection left Pierce profoundly deaf in both ears, mentally handicapped, epileptic, in a wheelchair, and non-verbal.”
Despite his condition, Robinson shared that Pierce “is the happiest kid you’ll meet. He sees the world the way that I think Jesus wants us to see the world.”
Robinson explained, “He doesn’t see your skin color. He doesn’t see how much money you make or don’t make. He doesn’t care what car you drive. As long as you hang out with him, you’ve got a friend for life.”
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The family’s experience made Robinson and his wife realize that life is short. So they set out to build something that would bring people together.
“Pierce has always loved construction equipment, garbage trucks, trucks—really the whole vein of trucks and equipment,” Robinson shared.
“And so,” he joked, “as any good, arrogant Texan would, we said, ‘Hey, let’s build a theme park. It can’t be that hard.’ And, man, we were a little wrong on that one. But here we are.”
“Pierce is the inspiration behind the park,” he added. “He is the inspiration behind everything that we do, day in and day out.”
Robinson shared how important his faith has been throughout their family’s journey. “I don’t say this flippantly,” he said. “I don’t know how you do it if you don’t have Jesus. If we don’t have a greater hope.”
