The Steinbach community is coming together in a remarkable way to help 13-year-old Delainey receive a brand-new custom wheelchair that will meet her unique needs.
Through the Tabs for Wheelchairs program, thousands upon thousands of aluminum tabs are being collected locally and across Manitoba, all to support Delainey, a Grade 6 student at Stoneybrook Middle School. The response so far has been overwhelming, says her mom, Shannon Broesky.
“Since we started collecting and announcing, the support from the community has been insane,” Broesky says. “Every school she’s attended has been collecting for her. People who follow her Facebook page, people in Winnipeg and in other towns keep asking where and when they can drop off tabs.”
Broesky explains that Tabs for Wheelchairs was searching for recipients earlier this year when a staff member at Stoneybrook Middle School suggested Delainey’s name. The organization quickly approved her application.
A rare condition with many challenges
Delainey was born with a very rare genetic condition called Trisomy 13, also known as Patau syndrome. Broesky says that at birth, her daughter faced a number of serious health challenges, including multiple holes in her heart, one blind eye, a cleft lip and palate, scoliosis and chronic cystic kidney disease. Against all odds, several of those conditions have improved over time.
With her current wheelchair regularly falling apart, Broesky says the new custom chair will make a huge difference in Delainey’s daily life, both at school and in the community.
A growing sense of inclusion
In addition to the excitement around the wheelchair campaign, Broesky says she’s seeing important, positive changes in how people are embracing inclusion. She reflects on how different things felt when Delainey was younger.
“You sometimes feel very unseen and unheard when you have kids in certain situations,” she says. “There was a lot of red tape and roadblocks with equipment, therapies and funding. But in the past three years, I’ve felt a significant shift.”
The changes have made it easier for the family to access the support Delainey needs. And beyond that, Broesky sees a broader shift in community attitudes.
“I feel like people are a lot more accepting, a lot warmer. There aren’t as many stares. People are becoming more aware. That makes a big difference for our family.”
A highlight this year came when Delainey was included in a baseball program organized through Jays Care at her school. With the help of her classmates, who pushed her around the bases and assisted with batting, Delainey was fully involved in the game. At the end of the season, she was honoured with the Most Inspirational Player award.
“In the years that he’s taught, Mr. Dewey said she has really brought together the meaning of teamwork and brought the girls together,” Broesky shares. “It was so beautiful to see.”
Momentum could help others
The incredible volume of tabs coming in has already broken records for the organization. Broesky says that in just the last three months, more than 100 bags of tabs have been collected in Steinbach alone. The program’s organizers are hopeful that if this momentum continues, they might even be able to provide a second wheelchair to another child this year — something that has never happened before in the 27-year history of Tabs for Wheelchairs.
Broesky is encouraging everyone to keep collecting.
“They were saying this was one of the highest amounts they’ve ever received. If we keep going, they might be able to gift more than one child a wheelchair for the first time ever in one year. I believe in our community. I think we can do it.”
Collection bins are set up at Stoneybrook Middle School and several other locations in the area, with more being added as people continue to get involved.
As for Delainey, while she might not fully understand the scale of the project, she knows something special is happening. “She gets really excited and always says, ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you,’” Broesky says with a smile.
For this Steinbach family, and for the entire community, the tabs represent more than just a wheelchair — they symbolize growing acceptance, teamwork, and a city that continues to show up for one of its own.