Meet our Newest Member of the Braedon Foundation Family: Dakota Albert-Ogden
This past December we were excited to welcome six year old Dakota Albert-Ogden and his beautiful family to The Braedon Foundation family. My husband, Board Member James Agnew and I met Dakota, his mom Kristen, his dad Aaron and his two adorable twin sisters at the Champlain mall in Dieppe. Later in the day we even got to meet his two other brothers after they got done school for the day.
Facing Unimaginable Health Battles
Dakota was diagnosed at age 3 with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. It was a huge shock to his entire family. Just like Braedon Dakota always has a smile on his face despite his daily struggles. He is the silliest and happiest little boy most people have ever met. DMD is the most rapid form of MD. Most boys with DMD are non ambulatory by age 12 and average lifespan is 25.
Just this past November Dakota had casts on both legs to prepare him for braces in hopes to strengthen his legs. He wore those casts for 24 hours with a smile on his face, walking around as if things were normal and without any complaints. The family is very hopeful that a clinical trial they attended in Calgary will slow down his muscle breakdown. For about a year, he had to travel to Calgary monthly for 3-5 days at a time.
Spoiling Dakota for the Day: Our Youngest Little Shopper
We had the divine privilege of spoiling Dakota with a Happy Heart Shopping Spree. It was amazing to see him have a day that was dedicated to him and bringing more happiness into his life. It was also equally amazing to see his parents and siblings get to see him focus on just being a kid and not worrying about his health.
After a fun day of shopping we got to take Dakota and his whole family, all seven of them out to dinner at his favorite restaurant, Boston Pizza! We had planned to shop until his brothers got done school, break for dinner and finish up shopping after if we needed to. Dakota had different plans though and in addition to being our youngest shopping spree applicant to date he also became our fastest shopper! Ninety minutes to fill up family’s minivan. All over previous shoppers took five hours plus! He was very generous with his siblings though and got gifts for all of them. We waited for them to get done school and enjoyed a meal with the entire family.
It was an absolute pleasure spending the day with the Albert-Ogden family. Dakota was a delight and we truly enjoyed every minute of making him smile. I mean that smile. Seriously though. ❤
Dakota is one strong fierce little man and “…his strength is influential to sooo many people.” ~Kristen Albert
Wondering how you can help?
Would you like to help bring happiness to the hearts of children facing severe, life-threatening or high-risk illnesses? We’re always accepting donations by e-transfer to tiffany@thebraedonfoundation.com password happyhearts. You can also donate by cheque. Contact Tiffany Agnew to arrange. Your donations are what allow us to do what we do and we are so incredibly grateful to everyone who helps us.
Interested in Volunteering?
We’re currently looking for volunteers to help with the following areas:
- Photography
- Videography
- Website Design & Updates
- Administrative
- Graphic Design
Reach out to Braedon Foundation Founder Tiffany Agnew tiffany@thebraedonfoundation.com for inquires or more information.
Learn more about how to apply here
XO Tiffany Agnew Founder, Board President & Braedon’s Mom
The Braedon Foundation 