The Watson Family Foundation

As the timeless saying goes, it is better to give than to receive. For the DDRC’s Triple P Practitioner Kelly Bruce, this old adage is certainly true.

Each year, the Watson Family Foundation provides the DDRC with funding to be distributed to families with limited or non-existent means to help improve and sustain the quality of life for their child with a developmental disability.

This year, we were given the opportunity to assist seven local families by providing them with specialised sensory equipment such as weighted blankets, wiggle seats, sensory toys, and emWave2, a heart rhythm monitor that aids in tracking possible emotional outbursts or anxiety attacks due to stressful situations.

Kelly has been dropping off the items over the past two weeks. One of the families she delivered to said that they are extremely excited to see how the sensory items will help out with their son’s behaviour and anxiety.

“It was like an early Christmas,” Kelly said. “Mom was so happy her eyes even welled up when she was watching her son go through all the items.”

Applications are received and reviewed each year by a committee of four at the DDRC. In previous years, funding has been provided for medical supplies, communication devices, eye glasses, and laptops and tablets preloaded with software such as Dragon, a speech recognition program, enabling children to be more successful and independent at school.

If your family or a family you know could benefit from the Watson Family Foundation fund distributed through the DDRC, please visit our website, or call Kara Garner-Welsh at (403) 240-7312 for more information.