Unconditional Love Colleen Marek is living on her own and loving life. She loves dancing, hanging out with her friends, bowling and spending time with her boyfriend. There was a time when she couldn’t have imagined doing any of this…

It was 1986 when Ken and Phyllis Marek brought their beautiful baby girl home from hospital. They were excited to introduce Colleen to her new family, friends and especially her brother, Trevor. Everyone was thrilled with Colleen’s arrival.

Within a few months they began to worry. Colleen wasn’t meeting her developmental milestones. At six months, babies hold their heads up, roll over and some even crawl, but Colleen wasn’t doing any of this. Anxious, Ken and Phyllis took their young baby to a doctor. Test after test came back normal. Colleen was a medical mystery. After six more months of searching school and made referrals so Colleen could have and tests, a CAT scan revealed she had a rare special equipment. condition called Shizencephaly. This condition is so rare that there have only been a few documented Colleen received great care which addressed her cases. Medical staff began to weigh in with unwanted needs. She was loved and supported by all those advice: around her but despite this, she felt excluded.

“You don’t have to keep her.” One day all that changed. When Colleen was 15 she met Bill Muloin who organizes SMD’s “Why don’t you give her up? You weren’t expecting power-wheelchair hockey. Bill invited her to play. He this.” was inspiring… and insistent. She joined a team and Unconditional Love ...... 1 made friends right away. Growing up in a small Phyllis reflects on this now, “No one could understand community she had never considered that people in our depth of love for her. [Her condition] made us love Corporate Supporters Thank You ...... 2 wheelchairs could accomplish so much. And, she her that much more. I think Trevor said it best when he definitely hadn’t seen the fun they could have doing it. said ‘it doesn’t matter – she’s my sister.’” This opened the door for Colleen to try other social activities. She joined the SMD social club and went on The Marek family began to receive care for Colleen outings and social events with other young adults. through SMD. Colleen required a physiotherapist multiple times a week, but at that time there were none Three years ago, Colleen became a founding member working in the small town where they lived. Travelling of the SMD All Abilities Dance Group. This group of WINTER 2013 was very hard for Colleen. She spent the rides to and dancers wows audiences every year at the annual from screaming as loud as she could. No Dancing with Celebrities gala fundraiser in support of one could soothe her. SMD Foundation/Easter Seals™ Manitoba. With help from her dance instructor, Colleen learned new ways In 1987, only a year after they brought Colleen home to move her body and test her limits. The opportunity LEADING PROVINCIAL PARTNER from hospital for the first time, the Marek’s made the to perform for an audience boosted her self-esteem painful decision to give up custody of Colleen so that and made her feel on top of the world.

® she could stay in a home in Winnipeg and receive the therapy she needed. It was a terrible day for Trevor Phyllis loves to share in her daughter’s joie de vivre. when his mom came home from Winnipeg without his Together they share experiences, build their sister. Phyllis was devastated. community, create networks and grow. Building on the strength of her peers, Colleen has achieved more than A year went by before the Mareks could bring Colleen she ever imagined possible for herself. back home for good. By this time, an emerging SMD rural program made it possible for Colleen to receive treatment at home. SMD also liaised with Colleen’s We All Have Ability To Give Thank You 2012 Corporate Supporters SMD Foundation/Easter Seals™ Manitoba extends its sincerest appreciation to our generous corporate supporters for their ongoing commitment and caring. Each gift ensures there is an investment in the vital programs and services that assist us in furthering the success of the children, youth and adults we help.

102 Clear FM Delta Vancouver Suites Money Mart The Winnipeg Foundation 1031 Virgin Radio Winnipeg Delta Winnipeg Mordens' of Winnipeg Candy True North Sports & Entertainment 1290 Sports Radio Diageo Canada Inc New Attitudes Hair Salon TSC Stores Inc 201 Portage Dollarama Old Navy TSL Industries 92 Citi FM Domo Gas Corporation On the Edge Glass Studio Van Extras 99.1 Fresh FM BIZ Operation Red Nose - Thompson Vertical Adventures 99.9 BOB FM Organza Market VIA Rail Canada Advance Electronics Dream Day Decorators Overland Truck Campers Ltd Victoria Inn Hotel & Convention Centre A nity Architecture Inc Dundee Wealth Management AgriTel Transportation Inc. Earls On Main Paladin Security Viscount Gort Hotel Alert Agri Distributors East Side Ventilation Paragon Holding Group LTD Visions Electronics Anthony Fernando Photography Eckler Consultants Park Avenue Vending & Coee Co Inc. Wawanesa Insurance AON Canada Edward Carriere Payworks Inc WestJet Assiniboine Park Conservancy Enterprise Rent A Car Power 97.5 FM Wilderness Supply Company B.O.S.S Guitar Works EQ3 Prairie Theatre Exchange Winnipeg Airport Authority Bartel Bulk Freight Inc FAB 94 Pratt's Wholesale Ltd. Winnipeg Art Gallery Bee-Clean Building Maintenance Fantasy Lake Golf Course Procurity Inc Winnipeg Blue Bombers Ben Moss Jewellers Procurity's Encounter Brand Winnipeg Contemporary Dancers Bentall Kennedy Folklorama Winnipeg Folk Festival Bill Knight Flooring Fontaine Electric Quadrant Asset Management Bockstael Construction Limited Fort Garry Industries Ltd QX 104 FM Winnipeg Free Press Bolero Dance Theatre FortWhyte Alive Raber Gloves Ltd. Winnipeg Jets Hockey Club Booster Juice Fresh Tra c Group Rady JCC Winnipeg Regional Health Authority Boston Pizza Friends of We Care Rae and Jerry's Steakhouse Winnipeg Studio Theatre Brandt Excavating Gauthier Automotive Group RAT Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra Brematson & Associates General Motors Canada REH-FIT Centre Wolfson Financial Burger King Global Winnipeg Richlu Sportswear Mfg Ltd. World of Water Calgary Winnipeg Club Ricoh WOW Hospitality Concepts Canad Inns Greenwood Inn & Suites Zealous MediSpa Canada Safeway Harlequin Costume and Dance River East Travel & Cruise Centre Rodren Drilling Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet Hu's Asian Bistro CBC Manitoba I.O.O.F Grand Lodge of Manitoba Roger Watson Jewelers Century 21 Bachman & Associates IDC Communications RONA Inc. Century 21 Carrie Realty Industrial Investments Ltd Royal Bank of Canada Century 21 Gold Key Realty InterGroup Consultants Ltd Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre Century 21 Reynard Real Estate Intrepid Dezine Salisbury House of Canada Ltd Century 21 Sun Country Realty Irvine Douglas Retirement Solutions Sears Century 21 Westman Realty Shaw TV Winnipeg ChangeMakers Joanne's Hair Studio Smitty's Restaurants Cherry Tree Productions John Dick's Landscaping Children's Museum of Manitoba Kawaii Crepe Sport Manitoba Inc. City of Winnipeg Mac's Convenience Stores Inc Starbucks Coee Citytv Winnipeg Manitoba Film and Music Steve Dennis Waverley Chrysler CJOB 68 Manitoba Hydro Susan Auch Holdings Ltd Clipper Publishing Corp Manitoba Liquor Control Commission Swank Contemporary Printing Services Maple Leaf Consumer Foods Taylor McCarey LLP Contempra Signs Mariaggi's Theme Suites Hotel TD Commercial Banking Correia Enterprises Ltd McDonald's Restaurants Ted Motyka Dance Studio Costco Melet Plastics Inc The Bargain! Shop CREIT Management LP Mercato Gelato The Cupcake Corner Creswin Properties Inc. Mercer The Fairmont Winnipeg CTV Winnipeg Molson Coors Brewing Company The Gail Asper Family Foundation Inc. Decorations by Rick Mayhew Monarch Industries Limited The Pollard Family Foundation 825 Sherbrook St Wpg, MB R3A 1M5 [email protected] www.smd.mb.ca (204) 975-3108 Charitable # 888-4056-44-RR-001

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