Power wheelchair from Variety the Children’s Charity gives Okanagan boy new independence

One young boy is just starting to get the need for speed in his new power wheelchair, given to him by Variety the Children’s Charity.

Before he was born, Brody Walker, 11, contracted a rare form of meningitis and was born five weeks early.

“It was pretty bleak in the beginning,” said Michelle Gibbons, Brody’s mom.

“Doctors pretty much thought that he was going to be in a vegetative state.”

1:38 Variety Week: New ramp provides safer option for young man in wheelchair

As a baby, he suffered a stroke that rendered the left side of his body weak. He has also been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and Marfan syndrome, a hereditary disorder that has optical and cardiovascular defects, and cannot see from the left side of both of his eyes.

“His left side is quite weak so it’s a struggle but he wants to be very independent and he’s just doing so good,” said Gibbons.

Over the last two weeks, Brody has been taking lessons, speeding around parking lots, rolling down hallways and has mastered the art of the perfect doughnut.

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“He’s very heavy to push, so it’s helped me a lot,” said Gibbons.

“He has a touchpad system and we are teaching him how to go left and right and forward and just having fun with it, he’ s really come a long way with it,” said Nicole Tarantino-Anctil, Brody’s education assistant.

Now the 11-year-old is speeding toward a more independent future.