Unleashing 'the beast'

12-year-old basketball player surprised with custom adaptive sports wheelchair

2:22 PM

Author | Valerie Goodwin

Bryan receives his Quickie wheelchair. Photos by Chris Hedly
Bryan receives his Quickie wheelchair. Photos by Chris Hedly

Bryan Kreps has always been a quiet and reserved kid. But once the 12-year-old got onto the basketball court with the Rollverines, a wheelchair basketball program for children and teens hosted by U-M Health, a beast was unleashed. Now, after winning a lottery, Bryan Kreps will be moving better than ever on the court.

Bryan Kreps uses a wheelchair or walker in daily life due to a neuromuscular disorder and currently borrows an adaptive sports wheelchair from the Rollverines to use at school. So, when his parents heard about a rolling lottery to win a custom adaptive sports wheelchair, there was no question about whether they should enter.

“An adaptive sports wheelchair that is customized for him would make a world of difference,” said Bryan Kreps’s mom, Sandy Kreps. “Winning a custom chair was too good of an opportunity to pass up.”

Bryan Kreps was adopted from China at the age of four. Shortly after adopting Bryan Kreps, Erik and Sandy Kreps brought him to University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children's Hospital where he was diagnosed with post viral myelitis. The neuromuscular disorder is thought to possibly be a result of having polio as an infant, but there is no way to test for this since Bryan Kreps received polio vaccinations at the orphanage.

Neuromuscular disorders involve a large team of care members across multiple disciplines working together. Over the years, the Kreps family has worked with specialists in orthopaedic surgery, neurology and physical medicine and rehabilitation.

As Bryan Kreps continued growing through adolescence, it became clear that he would need surgeries to help his legs grow properly.

Surgeries ahead

Michelle Caird, M.D., pediatric orthopaedic surgery and chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at U-M Health, crafted a multi-procedure plan to ensure Bryan Kreps would have successful growth in his childhood.

Bryan Kreps’ first orthopaedic procedure realigned his right leg and involved some adjustments to his Achilles tendon. His right foot was almost completely turned around from his muscle troubles; this meant the tibia bone needed to be cut and reset during the procedure for his leg to heal properly.

Since this first procedure at age nine, Bryan Kreps’ legs need some help catching up to his body’s growth. He is unable to extend his right knee due to the contractures in the muscles. Bryan Kreps had another procedure in March 2023 to help relax the tightness in his muscles so he can straighten his knee as well as removing a half inch of his femur to help protect his nerves from stretch. He has been making a positive recovery from the procedure.

"Our goal is to get the muscles around the knee as balanced as possible and protect the growth of that knee,” Caird said. “We want to set him up to have a successful adulthood with less procedures.”

See also: Wheelchair basketball player holds court with U-M men’s team

In the years following Bryan Kreps’ adoption, Sandy Kreps says it felt like the trips to physical therapy would never end. This is when the Kreps were introduced to Alecia Daunter, M.D., a pediatric physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist at University of Michigan Health’s C.S. Mott Children’s and Betsy Howell, PT., a physical therapist at University of Michigan Health’s C.S. Mott Children’s.

Daunter writes prescriptions for Bryan Kreps’ adaptive equipment and referrals to therapy. She also works with the family to determine what accommodations are best for him to be successful at home, in the classroom, and in the community.

Howell was the first physical therapist the Kreps encountered at Michigan Medicine. She has a background in working with neuromuscular patients and was the first person who thought Bryan Kreps might have encountered the virus before adoption.

shooting basketballs in parking lot
Bryan shoots hoops with US Paralympian, Matt Scott.

“The inconsistency in his muscle weakness lined up with that of a polio patient,” Howell said. “I immediately started brainstorming with Dr. Caird on ways to adapt his care around this.”

Their goal was to make him stronger without causing orthopaedic harm and to build symmetry in his body. Howell and Caird connected with the doctors and physical therapists who worked in the polio ward that once existed within Michigan Medicine. They discussed the ways they treated their patients during and after the polio epidemic to help build Bryan Kreps’ care plan.

“Eventually Bryan Kreps graduated to having physical therapy on an as-needed basis,” Howell said. "Once he gained the strength, life was therapy for him." 

Bryan Kreps was also connected with Erin Neil Knierbein, D.O., a pediatric neurologist at the University of Michigan Health System C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. Neil Knierbein follows Bryan Kreps’ development, both physical and cognitive, to watch for any unexpected changes.

“Interdisciplinary teamwork is incredibly beneficial in this situation,” Neil Knierbein said. “We all want to make sure he can maximize his childhood experience.”

Participating in adaptive sports has been a crucial part of Bryan Kreps using life as physical therapy. Caird, Daunter, Howell, and Neil Knierbein have all seen the positive impact it has had on him physically and cognitively.

"Feeling like you belong to something is critical for a happy childhood and successful adulthood," Caird said. "We want our patients to be involved in extracurriculars that they enjoy and it's important that we build those opportunities for them."

Most of all, Sandy and Erik Kreps have noticed the impact adaptive sports has had on their son.

An ‘unleashed beast and a custom wheelchair

"Around age five, we could tell Bryan Kreps was getting frustrated that he couldn't do the things his siblings could," Sandy Kreps said. "He started to notice he was different."

Around a year later, the Kreps heard about University of Michigan Adaptive and Inclusive Sports Experience hosting a wheelchair basketball clinic and Bryan Kreps showed an interest in joining. On the court, Bryan Kreps quickly "unleashed the beast", according to his parents and coaches.

"As soon as he got out there, he turned into a beast," Sandy Kreps said. "He had never shown a competitive side at home, but he had never had an opportunity to show that side either.”

Rollverines coach, Dan Ellman said Bryan Kreps is the "centerpiece of defense". Bryan Kreps was also awarded Midwest Scholar Athlete with the National Wheelchair Basketball Association in 2019.

The adaptive sports wheelchair the Kreps borrows from UMAISE is made to fit a range of sizes, so it’s not an exact fit for Bryan Kreps. While he has been able to get around well in the borrowed wheelchair, a custom fit wheelchair would be an improvement, his mother says.

"When we applied to the lottery for the chair, we didn't think we would get selected," said Sandy Kreps. "But we knew having a custom chair would be a game changer for Bryan."

At the UMAISE Kickoff Event in early March 2023, Bryan Kreps was surprised with his own custom Quickie adaptive sports wheelchair through The Hartford, a leader in property and casualty insurance, group benefits and mutual funds, in collaboration with Move United, the national leader in community adaptive sports. The pair is focused on creating accessible adaptive sports options for children across the country. After receiving the wheelchair, Bryan Kreps got the chance to go outside and shoot some hoops with United States Paralympian, Matt Scott who attended the event.

Bryan Kreps has been an active participant in a range of UMAISE activities such as kayaking, tree climbing, walker soccer, indoor and outdoor camping, adaptive biking, and adaptive fishing.

“When he is participating in adaptive sports, that’s the easiest time to get a genuine smile out of him,” Erik Kreps said. “We are very thankful for UMAISE and the opportunities they provide for kids like Bryan.”

For more information about the Rollverines and other UMAISE programs, email [email protected].


More Articles About: Orthopaedic Surgery C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital Physical Therapy Sports Medicine Child Fitness and Youth Training
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