First steps for a boy attached to an oxygen tank

By Louise Kinross

A couple of weeks ago I got to meet the most adorable child you see above. His name is Branko, and he's almost four, and his mom Jennifer Philp Zakic had written this exquisite piece for BLOOM about having another child after Branko was born with a rare genetic condition.

Jennifer called me from the lobby at Holland Bloorview to let me know that Branko was in the rehab gym on the second floor taking his first steps in physio.

So I got to race up and meet Branko and his mom and dad and sister, and watch this precious little boy hold his arms down tight at his sides to stabilize himself, kind of like a penguin, and take small steps back and forth between two tables (see photo below). His task was to pick up coloured plastic bugs from one table and bring them to the other table where he matched them to pictures of the bugs.

Branko was ecstatic with his progress and it was a beautiful moment to share.

To read more about Branko, check out this long interview with his mom: Branko, 3, has bones growing out of his chest.