Brent Grimstead needs braces for balance when he walks, but he still spends a lot of time in a wheelchair because it’s just too exhausting to be on his feet all day.
However, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease — which affects motor and sensory nerves, leading to weakness in the feet and lower leg muscles — has not slowed him down.
Last August, the 18-year-old attended an Easter Seals Leaders of Tomorrow camp designed to build confidence and prepare young people with disabilities for future independence.
“The skills I learned, the people I met, the friendships I formed and the confidence I gained from this program has been too valuable to put in words,” Grimstead said yesterday at ceremony to officially declare March as Easter Seals Month in Ottawa.
The declaration is also the unofficial start of the Easter Seals Paper Egg campaign where residents can buy $2 paper eggs at the cashiers of participating stores, with the money going towards Easter Seals camps and to help purchase braces, walkers, wheelchairs, computer equipment, ramps and lifts to help children with physical disabilities get out into the world.
“It’s the difference between living a life fully or just watching days pass by,” said Mark Fisher, chair of the National Capital Region district council for Easter Seals Ontario.
In Ontario, about 20,000 children live with physical disabilities and need specialized assistance. While the equipment needed to help a child can cost up to $40,000 a year.
