Meet Greyson
February 2020 Update: Overcoming Obstacles to Reach His Dreams!
Greyson continues to amaze his parents with all of his accomplishments in the last five years with KidsAbility.
For them, it seems like just yesterday he was prescribed his 'talker', a Dynavox - a device he used to communicate. We were thrilled this fall to return it - something we didn't see happening so soon. He now speaks to us in full sentences, and as it turns out, he loves to talk and rarely stops. We were overwhelmed with emotion this past Christmas. It was the first time we heard him sing carols, tell Santa what he wants and talk and play with his cousin's at family gatherings.
When Greyson's not playing with his toy coffee maker pretending to be a barista, he continues to work towards his dreams of being a hockey player, or a Zamboni driver – it depends on the day. He skates numerous times a week and has worked up to being able to use a hockey stick on the ice. He loves being the goalie and has a great slap shot! He was thrilled to be able to attend the Kitchener Rangers’ hockey game in December to draw the winning ticket of the Rotary Club of Kitchener Car Draw, and he attended the Skate 48 hockey tournament to cheer on the players – and drop the puck!
Greyson recently began reading early reader books completely by himself – and loves to inform everyone that he can read without any help. His independence is flourishing, his confidence rising, and his skills and growth astonish us everyday. Although he continues to face many challenges, our team at KidsAbility is dedicated to helping him overcome any obstacle and achieve his goals and dreams – and he is definitely doing just that."
- Stephanie, Greyson's Mom
You can read Greyson's full story below.
Greyson's Journey
KidsAbility Ambassador 2019 - 2020
A bright and friendly little boy who loves the camera, Greyson is 5 years old and loves running, jumping, climbing and riding his scooter. But he didn’t have an easy start in life.
At two months old, his health took an unexpected turn with weakness in his muscles and head, so he was referred to KidsAbility. Greyson began weekly physiotherapy and occupational therapy but after turning one, he had signs of heart failure and had open heart surgery to repair his heart. Upon healing, he came to KidsAbility where he learned how to crawl and received speech and language therapy to help him communicate.
But more difficult news came for Greyson’s parents Stephanie and Stewart. He was diagnosed with a rare syndrome, ADNP, affecting his organs and genes, one of only 85 cases worldwide. “When he was diagnosed the geneticist told us he would never talk, walk, or go to school and that his future would be pretty grim,” says his mom Stephanie. “They handed us a piece of paper with his diagnosis and wished us luck. I remember calling KidsAbility to cancel an upcoming appointment while we processed the diagnosis. Two days later, I received a call from KidsAbility, where the team developed a plan that would help Greyson move forward. For the first time since his diagnosis it felt like we were being given help and hope, and most important, we were not alone on this new journey.”
Today Greyson loves to sing and dance. For a little boy who had a rocky start, his life is nothing short of miraculous. Greyson and his family will be appearing at numerous events in Kitchener and Waterloo this year to help raise awareness and funds for KidsAbility!
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