OCONOMOWOC — On a cool fall afternoon at Oconomowoc’s Imagination Station, 9-year-old Timmy climbs, spins, and laughs with other kids—moments his mom wishes could happen closer to home.
Watch: An Oconomowoc mom’s mission to bring inclusion to her son’s school playground
Timmy, who was born with Down syndrome, attends Stone Bank School. His mom, Melina Sebastian, said that low muscle tone makes using traditional school equipment difficult.
“Right now, there’s really nothing at Stone Bank for the kids to all play on,” she said. “It’s just harder for him and some of the other kids with special needs to get up and down the equipment, or lack thereof.”
Sebastian recently launched a GoFundMe called “Support Timmy’s Dream of Inclusive Play” to raise money for new accessible equipment at the school.
She said she wants to make inclusion the norm at school — a place where every child can feel part of the play, not apart from it.
“We want equipment not just for kids to play on, but also for the kids that don’t have special needs to work with kids with special needs,” she said.
She estimates that even a small inclusive play set, without landscaping, could cost around $70,000.
Sebastian said she hopes the project will encourage neighbors to come together.
“Let’s get the community involved and make them feel included because it includes their children,” she said. “His classmates are amazing, but it would be really great if they could all play together.”
In a statement, Stone Bank Superintendent Jeff Allen said the fundraiser is not connected to or endorsed by the district, and no formal request for new playground equipment has been submitted.
The district has confirmed that the current equipment is safe and in working order.
He added that there are currently no playground upgrades planned, but the district welcomes community support that follows its established process.
Sebastian said she plans to formally present the idea to the Stone Bank School Board and hopes students will have a chance to vote on the type of inclusive play equipment added to the campus.
For now, the Imagination Station, 15 minutes away, gives Timmy a place to play freely — but his mom hopes that one day, he and others will be able to do that right outside his classroom.
To learn more or donate, visit the GoFundMe page “Support Timmy’s Dream of Inclusive Play.”
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