Posted at: 09/16/2009 12:26 AM | WHEC.com
Updated at: 09/16/2009 9:02 AM
By: Nikki Rudd

Dream comes true for brothers with Muscular Dystrophy

Thanks to the Beamer Hughes Foundation and a little help from News 10NBC two Greece boys won't have to give up their swimming pool.

Diane Kelley's sons Jackson, 13 and Hayden, 11 have Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Their muscles are rapidly wasting away. Jackson already lost his ability to walk and the pool in their front yard is therapeutic.

"They were very upset when they thought we were going to lose the pool," said Keeley.

The Town of Greece said the pool had to come down because of zoning ordinances. In Greece, a pool can't be in a front yard and the fence around the pull isn't high enough.
But the pool isn't going anywhere. It all started with a story News 10NBC aired last month.

Keeley shared her dilemma with our viewers in August.

"They can't ride bikes. They can't play on scooters. They can't play baseball in the street," Keeley said. "So the pool is their freedom. It's where they can play and be regular boys."

When Gary Brown saw the story, he immediately called the News 10NBC newsroom. His late friend Tom Hughes was a star quarterback at Greece Arcadia. Hughes was robbed of his strength and lost his life to a rare, heredity form of muscular dystrophy. Everyone called him Beamer.

Brown knew Hughes would want him to do something about the Greece brothers and their pool.

Through donations by Empire Fence and other donors the Beamer Hughes Foundation is taking care of the fence situation. It's something Diane Keeley just couldn't afford.

A problem remained. The Town of Greece doesn't allow pools in front yards, but the Keeleys don't have a back yard.

That's what brought Diane Keeley and Gary Brown out to the Greece Town Zoning Board Tuesday night. Keeley applied to the Board for a variance. Her father was by her side.

"My daughter's had a rough time in her life with these young kids," said John Sheehan. "It's muscular dystrophy and she doesn't need any more headaches from anybody here!"

Gary Brown also spoke up telling the Board he would do whatever it takes to keep the pool for the boys.

The Town Zoning Board approved the variance to keep the pool in the front yard. That put a smile on everyone's face.

"It's huge," said Brown. "Beams took care of it."

And so Tom Hughes's legacy lives on.

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