Lightning in a bottle at four years old, Brooklyn Dane loves doing just about anything active. She gets it from her parents and the rest of her family, as they all stay active throughout the year. This winter, Brooklyn got to experience ice skating and snow skiing for the first time. Her high level of activity is remarkable not only because of her age, but also because she was born with spina bifida.

Spina bifida is a condition in which a baby’s spinal cord does not develop correctly. For Brookyln, this resulted in partial paralysis and no feeling below her knees. Using her AFOs (ankle foot orthoses), SMOs (supra-malleolar orthoses) and a walker, Brooklyn gets around very well. Not that her active family would leave her idle.

“We are a very active family and will never leave Brooklyn out of anything,” Brooklyn’s mother, Jess Dane, said. “We have found that there is always a way to adapt sports and extracurricular activities for her with a little brainstorming.”

Just like everyone in her family, Brooklyn stays active all year. The Adapted Sports Camp in the summer is a very fun time for Brooklyn because she gets to play in her favorite event, wheelchair T-ball. She also enjoys bowling, riding her bike and even water skiing in the summer time.

We are very proud to have gotten to know Brooklyn and her active family. We can’t wait to see what awesome activities and sports she participates in next.