Kinsmen Club of Keswick

Accessible playground good news to Keaton

Children such as Keaton Grassie will have an accessible neighbourhood playground at Fairwood Public School to play at next month.

Keaton, 11, had his lower legs amputated close to two years ago, making accessibility a major issue for him and his family.

Finding funds to create the new park was a community fundraising effort spearheaded by Sue Frieheit, with members of the school's parent council.

"He is doing amazing now. He's on his prosthetics and he uses a cane, but just sometimes. He's pretty much going on his own," said his mother, Katie. The wheelchair is gone, as is the ramp to the front door.

Keaton was also fitted with prosthetic legs last week that will enable him to go swimming, she said.

His next challenge is learning how to ride his bicycle.

"He tried to get on his bike, but was having some difficulty doing the movement at his knees. We're going to have to work on that," she said.

Keaton lost his legs after contracting a rare strain of bacterial meningitis that destroys body tissue. Doctors amputated to save his life and he has since been adjusting to his prosthetics -- and his new life.

It has all been chronicled for a CBC documentary. A camera crew followed Keaton and his family around for more than a year.

"They went with us pretty much everywhere, even when we went to Disney World," Katie said.

"They were around for his birthday, his physio sessions, appointments. At first Keaton was excited about it, then it became frustrating if he was having a bad day and there was a camera on him."

Keaton doesn't complain openly, she said, so there were some difficult moments when he was being filmed.

"But he was thinking, this is going to help someone," Ms Grassie said.

The documentary will show how fast Keaton has matured for a boy his age and how he was still able to keep his sense of humour even in the dark times, she said, adding, "It's made him more of a positive kid".

The final scene of the documentary, filmed just before Christmas, shows Keaton walking triumphantly to school on his own.

Meanwhile, Ms Grassie said her son is thrilled about the new playground and the opportunities it will provide for children such as him.

The $50,000 fundraising effort was pushed over the top with a $25,000 grant acquired through the Keswick Kinsmen Club. Other contributions came from the parent council, community fundraisers and the Town of Georgina, which allocated $10,000.

The existing playground will see the pea gravel surface replaced with a rubber surfacing accessed by a ramp. A wheelchair-accessible playhouse will also be added to the facility.

The official opening takes place next month.