Meet Ragheeb, a Capes for Kids superhero. Each year ambassadors proudly wear their capes and inspire meaningful conversations about accessibility, inclusion, and creating a stigma-free world where everyone belongs. Our superheroes also generously share their stories, pose for photos, feature in ads, and join in so many festivities. We’re so excited for you to get to know them better.
In elementary school, Ragheeb turned Capes for Kids into a school-wide celebration. He went from recruiting 18-19 students, to organizing Thursday morning popcorn sales, to presenting at his school-wide assembly and raising $3371.25. This year Ragheeb has an even bigger goal: launching Capes for Kids at his high school.
While it may be a challenge, he’s confident that he can do it and break his own record.
This confidence comes from conversations he’s had with his EA, Mrs. Giannetti and youth facilitator (Neuromuscular Team led by Dr. McAdam), Zena. They have helped him navigate the transition into high school and being a teenager with a disability.
“They give me advice about putting myself out there and how to respond when kids at school ask questions like, ‘Why are you in a wheelchair?’
“Zena’s advice is different,” he says, “Because she is a wheelchair user also and has a disability, so she understands me more.”
Ragheeb’s got many hobbies and has dipped his toe in many areas. Since he was young, Holland Bloorview’s recreational therapist, Kristen English, has introduced Ragheeb to all sorts of activities like accessible sailing camp, adaptive biking and wheelchair basketball. He’s also a big fan of the Out and About Club where he’s done everything from rock climbing and dragon boating, to flying over a thousand feet high in a glider plane.
Ragheeb’s favourite activity? LEGO! At Holland Bloorview’s LEGO Robotics club he doesn’t just build complex LEGO sets – he competes, participating in York University’s Skills Challenge. His collection now includes a NASA rocket ship, a remote-controlled train, and speed champion sets.
All of this is possible, his parents say, because of God and the support that he’s received at Holland Bloorview. Ragheeb has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and has accessed a wide variety of the hospital’s services and programs. Their holistic approach extends far beyond medical interventions and has empowered Ragheeb to be a leader in his community, making him the perfect Capes for Kids champion!