“Tai is very charismatic and genuine. He loves meeting new people.” – Lisa, Tai’s mom.
Tai loves Glee – both the TV show and the club he belongs to near his home. He aspires to sing professionally, certainly to perform. He’s very funny and loves to dance.
He may be a budding singer, but Tai is also findi
ng his voice as a spokesperson and advocate for kids with disabilities. He recently gave a speech for the first time as an Ambassador for Holland Bloorview. Reluctant to do so at first, Tai surprised everyone by changing his mind.
At seven years old, Tai also swims and plays wheelchair basketball and sledge hockey. Matt Black, Cornerback and Kick Returner for the Toronto Argonauts, is a friend of Tai’s. They met at Kasting for Kids, a fishing fundraiser for Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation. Now Tai follows the Argos games religiously and Matt took him trick-or-treating on Halloween.
Unable to move his legs due to a spinal injury while in utero, Tai uses a wheelchair to get around. He began therapy at Holland Bloorview’s Spina Bifida Spinal Cord Injury Clinic when he was 18 months old. While at Holland Bloorview he also used services such as neurology, orthopedics, and pediatric psychology, and learned how to effectively maneuver his wheelchair.
“Receiving all these services in one place helped us the most,” says Lisa, Tai’s mom. “Tai received therapy from very knowledgeable staff who provided very good recommendations early on.”
Some of these suggestions helped nurture Tai’s love of sport. Arnold Lopez, Therapeutic Recreational Specialist at Holland Bloorview’s Life Skills Institute, recognized a natural aptitude for sport in Tai and recommended him to the wheelchair basketball team. Arnold helps new para-sport teams form with the hope that they go out on their own, which is exactly what happened to Tai’s team. Now dubbed the Toronto Tornadoes, Tai’s team practices out in the community and his parents serve on its board of directors.
Tai first played sports while attending Bloorview School Authority. Despite the long bus ride to school and back, Tai’s parents felt that sending him to Holland Bloorview was the right move, helping him to prepare for public school closer to home, which he began in grade one.
Tai is the first and only student to use a wheelchair at his current school. Because of Holland Bloorview’s emphasis on making friends, Tai was quick to forge strong friendships.
“Tai is a stronger advocate because of Holland Bloorview,” says Lisa. “The hospital and school gave him the confidence and skills he needed to better integrate in his new school.”
