Meet Brayden

KASEY PETERS & HER SON, Brayden - By Aaron Olson

Kasey Peters and her son, Brayden, live in Westfield where Kasey works as a nurse. During the last part of Kasey’s pregnancy, her vehicle was hit by another driver who failed to stop at an intersection. As a result, Brayden did not get a sufficient amount of oxygen to his brain, a condition known as neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Due to this condition, Brayden developed cerebral palsy.

Brayden is upbeat, social, and always seeking out stimulation, but completely dependent on his caregivers, and needs assistance with nearly every aspect of daily living. Being non-verbal and having limited mobility due to tightness in his lower limbs and low tone in his trunk presents a number of difficulties for both Kasey and his caretakers.

While these issues might seem daunting to most people, Kasey says having a good support network and the right perspective is key. Kasey had a caregiver who would pick him up before she went to work and drop him off when she got back. Fortunately, due to her background as a nurse, she was recently able to become Brayden’s full-time nurse caretaker. Her support network also gives her the time she needs to recharge. With her limited free time, Kasey enjoys going on date nights with her significant other, working out, visiting friends, and sometimes doing nothing at all. Brayden has also inspired Kasey to become a nurse practitioner; she will begin her coursework in January.

Brayden is energetic and enjoys almost anything that brings some form of stimulation. Whether it’s something as common as listening to music or something more complex, like playing a game, Brayden is almost always laughing and full of excitement. One game he is particularly fond of is a version of “peek-a-boo” where his caretaker will stand behind the door and move it ever so slightly. He finds the noise from the door hilarious. Most of all, Brayden loves people and will spend time with people over just about any other activity including movies, his iPad, or music. Brayden currently attends the Monon Trails Elementary Life Skills classroom.

When it comes to maintaining the right perspective, Kasey believes situations like these can either break a person or they can build a person, and in her case, letting her situation break her wasn’t going to help Brayden. Kasey believes in focusing on the many positives, like the progress Brayden has made. When asked about her best moment with Brayden, Kasey finished with “Honestly, I don’t have a best. His laughter is infectious, his cuddles make me feel loved despite his inability to verbalize it, and his smile lights up everyone’s heart.”

Would you like to share your story or nominate someone else - to be in an upcoming issue of Special Needs Living? Email us at SpecialNeedsLivingIndy@n2pub.com.

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