Andrew's Story

"I really want to make a point about not limiting possibilities for him"

Andrew has quad-spastic cerebral palsy. He began his journey at ErinoakKids when he was just two and a half. He began with physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. Since then, he has used many services including hydrotherapy, and has even participated in DramaWay, a theatre program in our community. 

And Kerri, Andrew’s Mom, has always been a planner.

“Ever since Andrew was little, I always had a plan for him,” says Kerri. “I take the lead with his care, and make sure I always know what we need to do next.”

But when Andrew grew older, he realized he didn’t like using his walker. 

“He really hated walking,” says Kerri. “But I used to push him to use his walker. One day, he just snapped, and told me how much he hates using his walker, and that he would rather use a wheelchair.”

This moment taught Kerri so much, as it was the first time she realized she was encouraging Andrew to do something he didn’t want to do. 

“It was really eye-opening for me, and since then, I’ve pulled back,” says Kerri. “I told myself that I can plan all I want, but I really need to start listening to him, and see what it is he wants. That moment really changed my perspective on how to support him and how to help him plan as well.”

Since Andrew was a baby, he has always had an interest in music. So when it came to decide what he wanted to do for post-secondary, he chose radio broadcasting.

“He had an opportunity to see behind the scenes of Roz and Mocha’s morning show on KISS radio,” says Kerri. “And that just solidified it for him. Radio and broadcasting was what he wanted to do.”

So they started to plan for his future. He enrolled in all the necessary high school courses that would get him into Humber’s radio broadcasting program, and he got in. 

“I really want to make a point about not limiting possibilities for him,” says Kerri. “It’s his future, and we will do everything we need to do to allow him to chase his dreams.”

Kerri knew that the Independent Living Program (ILP) at ErinoakKids would be great at emulating what it would be like living alone one day.

“The ILP really made him stronger,” says Kerri. “He was really hesitant at first, and didn’t want to go. He has always been great at self-advocacy, but this pushed him. There were times where he had to call an attendant, and that was very new to him. The whole ILP experience was an eye-opener for him, and for us, as to what it would be like to live on his own in the future.” 

Andrew is taking big steps toward independence through future planning. The ILP has helped him immensely and allowed him to self advocate more. He attends Humber College in the Fall, and is excited to gain new knowledge, become more independent and build skills for the future.

Andrew's story represents "Future" in the F-words framework.

Learn More about the F-Words Framework