It has been 21 years since this man has left his hometown – so when his friends recently surprised him with his first-ever trip to the beach, he was understandably awestruck.

The last time that David Thomas ventured outside of Jefferson County, Alabama, he was a 15-year-old boy on a field trip.

Though he has always dreamed of going to the beach, his cerebral palsy has made it difficult for him to get around because of his wheelchair.

Upon hearing about this, his friends from church took the 36-year-old man on a vacation to Panama City, Florida. They even got him a special wheelchair so he could traverse across the sands.

Listening to the waves crash on the beach, watching the water, and feeling the sand between his toes, Thomas was overcome with emotion.

"It was a place I always wanted to go," he told WJHG. "It took me years to get here but God made a way for me to get here. I never imagined it looking like this, but it's beautiful. I love it and don't want to go home."

"I never really go anywhere so it's just like a dream come true," he added. "This one moment I'll never forget. No matter how old I may be, I will never forget this."

Thomas hopes that his "dream come true" will inspire other people with disabilities to keep hope and never give up on their dreams.

(WATCH the full video below)

Be Sure And Share This Inspiring Tale With Your Friends – Photo by Izas Fuller