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LAKELAND, Fla. — One family’s Christmas wish has come true thanks to the support of their community.
A fighting chance is what Kayla Newmyer has always wanted for her 2-year-old son, Keegan, and thanks to that support, he’s getting just that.
“He has a condition called Snyder-Robinson syndrome,” Newmyer said. “It only affects boys. It’s an X-linked chromosomal abnormality.”
Keegan was first diagnosed with the rare genetic disorder at just 11 months old. Newmyer said the condition causes him to experience low muscle tone, kidney infections and seizures.
“So we’re always trying new things and chasing that to help him have seizure freedom,” she said. “His brain is just so busy. There’s not a time where he’s not experiencing activity.”
After more than a year researching the condition, Newmyer learned about a center in North Carolina called All Kids Are Perfect, which specializes in intensive, weeklong therapy for children with complex needs.
The cost for the two-week program, travel and continued therapy once Keegan returns home totaled $14,000. Newmyer said she recently turned to the community for support, and the response exceeded her expectations.
“People who don’t even know us have donated,” she said. “We’ve gotten cards in the mail with donations. I can’t even put into words how amazing it’s been that people saw Keegan, a little boy they don’t even know, and contributed to him having a fulfilled life.”
The mother of two said the money raised is enough for her family to travel for treatment twice. She said it will not only increase Keegan’s chances of reaching early milestones, but also helps to grant his older brother’s wish of one day being able to fully play with him.
“He’s patiently waiting, so it’s getting us one step closer to living a more, quote-unquote, normal life — even though that’s never going to be the case for us,” Newmyer said.
But thanks to the community, she says a better life is now possible.
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Alexis Jones
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