MacKenna is a 10 year old girl who lives in our community of Cochrane. She has one older brother Jackson and one younger Cooper, she is the daughter of Ryan and Debra Bader. She absolutely loves to be an active participant in all that goes on in our town and is often seen cheering on her brothers in hockey, splashing in the pool with friends, riding “her bike” down the pathways or simply “hanging out” in her backyard. However, MacKenna is not like all other children in that she has multiple special needs which severely limit her ability to be a part of everyday activity! MacKenna has low muscle tone which means without help she cannot get to where she wants to go or do the things she wants to do. She ALWAYS has to rely on someone else to help her! She is also visually impaired and has scoliosis. She is unable to verbally communicate with others and yet she lets us know with her cheers and giggles just how much she loves life and every sport going! Whether it be hockey, skating, basketball, swimming, swinging, or just simply planting a garden, this kid LOVES every minute of it!
As much as possible, MacKenna’s family works hard to have her involved in our community, but due to her multiple limitations, this isn’t always possible. And while most of our children grow up and hang-out with their friends at their house or at the movies, and leave their backyards, MacKenna’s backyard is and always will be her “hang-out” spot. I’m happy to support this little girl and help her backyard become her dream come true!
To give a little something to help, I was able to donate $1,650 to the Baders for Mackenna’s backyard. We are grateful to our winner, Michael, and everyone who participated in our auction. We look forward to the next one!