Five-year-old Beau starts each day being carried by one of his parents to the family’s living room, where his wheelchair awaits in their Beamsville, Ont., home.

Diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy at 17 months old, Beau is unable to walk independently due to the disease, which damages nerves and leads to severe muscle weakness.

Beau’s day-to-day living comes with barriers most would never think about when raising a child, said his mother, Rachel O’Hagan. The doorways in their home aren’t wide enough for a wheelchair to fit through, meaning Beau has to be carried from room to room, including the bathroom.

He can’t access the sink to wash his hands or brush his teeth on his own, nor reach the light switches. As he gets older, O’Hagan said she and her husband Bryce know these challenges will only compound, especially as he gets too heavy for them to lift.