Lakeside Ambucs president Julian Olalde, far right, and David Hanna, Ambility Chairperson, present a check to the Braddy family to cover the funds needed to get a custom wheelchair last year. Courtesy photo

You could say 10-year-old Ariyan Braddy is a celebrity at her Garland ISD elementary school. Her genuine warmth and contagious spirit touch everyone she meets, her mother, Nicole, said. “She just lights up the room. She’s got such a big personality—she’s always smiling, always laughing, always singing.”

Her enthusiasm is especially inspiring considering she was diagnosed with spastic cerebral palsy at birth. The condition, which affects posture, muscle tightness and mobility, has kept Ariyan in a wheelchair since age 3.

By 8, her chair was literally falling apart. “It was rocking back and forth,” Nicole said. “It was so bad we weren’t even using it anymore—the school had found an extra one.” The family began the process of custom-fitting a replacement, but just as it neared completion, Medicaid cut coverage, leaving them with more than $3,000 to pay out of pocket.

That’s when a friend shared their story with Lakeside Ambucs, a local chapter of a national nonprofit dedicated to providing mobility and independence for children and veterans.

By Whitney Alswede, Special Contibutor

For more on this story see the October 16, 2025 print, or digital edition of The Sachse News. Subscribe today and support local journalism in your community.