Keegan’s journey shows what’s possible with the right support.
“Keegan is probably the happiest person I’ve ever been around,” Breanne says with a beaming smile.
Keegan is Breanne’s seven-year-old daughter. Keegan loves music, reading, and interacting with people, and she seems to have a special charm that draws others to her. Breanne recalls sending Keegan to daycare for the first time, explaining “within a month, there was a group of five or six kids who became very protective of her, they were always around her – one would hold her right hand, one would hold her left hand, another would bring her shoes, and someone would hold her water bottle.”
Keegan was born with an extremely rare condition, sharing the diagnosis less than 100 known children. “I knew when Keegan was born that she was unique because she would only stare to the left, but no one would believe us,” explains Breanne.
Breanne and her husband, Anil, visited developmental doctors, geneticists, and a long list of other specialists searching for answers. Finally, it was discovered that Keegan has a rare chromosomal condition that affects her both physically and developmentally, impacting areas such as her fine and gross motor skills, muscle tone, speech, and brain development.
“We were told that Keegan would never sit up, feed herself, talk, walk, be potty trained – none of those things,” Breanne shares. “But Keegan can do all of that, she just does it in her own way.”
“The biggest thing is that equipment lets Keegan do things that we all take for granted.”
Like many children with physical disabilities, Keegan uses specialized equipment to help her with daily tasks. Through her communication device, Keegan has found a way to engage with others, which has been a huge improvement in her life. “She understands everything around her,” Breanne explains, “but now that she can actually communicate, her level of frustration has dropped significantly… She can ask for her favourite food or TV show, or she’ll say ‘grandpa’ and then we will call grandpa.”
Having access to the right equipment is crucial for kids like Keegan. It not only helps them strengthen and develop their skills and abilities but also allows them to participate in their world more fully. “The biggest thing is that equipment lets Keegan do things that we all take for granted,” shares Breanne, explaining how Keegan’s adaptive tricycle makes it possible for her to join her friends for bike rides and how, with her walker, she can go for walks with her classmates. However, the high cost of equipment can be a significant barrier for many families trying to access the various pieces their child needs.
“Every other year, Keegan has a $35,000 medical expense,” Breanne explains. While Breanne and her husband work hard to ensure Keegan has everything she needs, the financial strain can be overwhelming for many families.
You can help provide children like Keegan with the tools and opportunities they need to thrive. Donate now to transform lives.
Through our Equipment Funding Program, we aim to offer relief to families by providing funding toward essential equipment for their child. Breanne was able to utilize the program to get Keegan a transformative piece of equipment for their home – a new bath chair. This item allows Keegan to sit comfortably and securely in the tub so she can enjoy bathtime and her parents don’t have to worry about her slipping or hitting her head. “We would spend most of our time making sure she didn’t fall, so the bath chair was an absolute game changer,” Breanne explains. “Before, she was uncomfortable and just wanted to get out. Now she can relax and splash around.”
Beyond the Equipment Funding Program, Easter Seals has been able to offer Keegan’s family support through the Incontinence Supply Grant, administered on behalf of the Ontario Ministry of Health, and the Access 2 Card program. More recently, Keegan and her family attended Easter Seals Ontario’s Camp Woodeden for an unforgettable Family Camp session.
“Easter Seals camp was literally life-changing for our family. We had no idea the impact it was going to have for us,” Breanne shares. Usually when Breanne plans a family vacation, she has to do an extraordinary amount of research and planning beforehand to ensure accessibility and accommodation for Keegan. “We don’t have to do any of that when we go to Easter Seals camp, we just show up and we know that she’ll be able to participate in absolutely everything, and we just don’t get that in real life, we don’t get that anywhere else.”
“Easter Seals camp was literally life-changing for our family. We had no idea the impact it was going to have for us.”
At Easter Seals camp, Keegan participated in archery, completed the accessible high ropes course, and splashed around in the wading pool. Her favourite activity, though, was music and drama, where she got to make up her own songs and sing them. She even had the opportunity to take the stage during the talent show to tell jokes to the crowd using her communication device.
“We call camp our family’s happy place,” Breanne shares, “Keegan gets to look around and see people that look like her. She gets to do all the things and she never has to wait. I don’t think people understand, when you have a child in a wheelchair, they have to wait for everything. But at Easter Seals camp, she doesn’t have to wait for anything!”
This sense of belonging and inclusion is invaluable, and it’s made possible by the generosity of donors like you. Your support of Easter Seals Ontario ensures that kids like Keegan can continue to shine, explore, and enjoy the world around them without limitations. Breanne and her family are deeply grateful for the opportunities that allow Keegan to thrive, participate, and simply be herself. Thank you for being a part of Keegan’s journey and for helping to turn possibilities into reality for children with physical disabilities.