After years of anticipation, a young man from Moncton who lives with cerebral palsy was able to stand for the national anthem at his favorite hockey team’s game this weekend.
It was quite the moment for 23-year-old Brent Daborn, who with the help of a standing wheelchair was able to stand for the national anthem at a Moncton Wildcats game Sunday afternoon.
“I got to stand with Dylan Seitz for the anthem so that just made my day,” said Brent.
His mother Kim Daborn said the moment was made possible with the use of a trial standing wheelchair on loan to the family.
“It was incredible to see him do something that he has been wanting to do for years that he sees people doing all around him,” Kim said.
Kim is trying to raise funds to buy her son the $50,000 chair, which she says will greatly improve his quality of life.
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“It will help him to be able to prepare himself a light meal and to access different things maybe in the fridge,” she said.
Kim has not applied for funding from the province because according to the province’s Department of Social Development, it has never purchased a stand-up wheelchair as there are more affordable alternatives.
Kim says that needs to change, which is why she is sharing their story.
“I am hoping that this will change things for everybody in the province of New Brunswick who could use one of these chairs to make their life that much better,” she said.
The chair, she said, is more expensive than a conventional wheelchair. But she said it has already giving her son more independence. She’s even been able to teach him how to cook for himself and the being able to be in a standing position she says will also improve his muscle tone and overall health.
Kim added that the chair will likely to reduce Brent’s need for more orthopedic surgeries as he get older.
“Having this chair when Brent was younger, could it have avoided surgeries down the road? I believe so, yes.”
Kim says she will try to apply for provincial funding but isn’t hoping out much hope that she will get any until the province changes its policies.
In the meantime, family and friends have started a GoFundMe page and completed community fund raisers and have managed to raise $15,000 to help Brent get a chair.
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