Written by Kevin Enners
Many athletes who race with The Kyle Pease Foundation first hear about the organization through word of mouth. For Garnett Palmer, that introduction came during one of the most uncertain seasons of his life. After he and his brother were diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Garnett suddenly found himself navigating a reality filled with fear, change, and questions no young person should have to face.
Encouraged by his teacher, Garnett went to Camp Wheel-A-Way where he bonded with other campers. There, he learned that KPF did more than races. It offered him friendships. Those moments sparked something in him.
In September 2024, Garnett was rushed to the hospital, suffering from congestive heart failure, commonly seen in teenagers with DMD.
“It was one of the scariest moments of my life,” Garnett said.
In the months that followed, he struggled through some of the darkest days he had ever known. Yet, even in that darkness, a powerful reminder emerged — he wasn’t alone. His uncle, niece, close friends Kyle Pease and Josh Porter, Mak and Faye Yost, and fellow KPF athlete Dontavius Ridley all visited him as he recovered at The Arthur M. Blank Hospital, a place dedicated to children facing complex medical challenges.
“Seeing all those faces,” Garnett said, “reminded me what real support truly feels like.”
Through the Foundation, Garnett discovered a community overflowing with joy, strength, and unwavering belief. He found friends who saw potential instead of limitations and built bonds with people who understood his journey in ways words could never fully capture. His mother, LaToya, found community, too – other single parents of children with special needs, resources, and support that helped her feel steady again.
Garnett’s determination was soon recognized when he received the Lucye Caplan Broken Wheel Award. To him, it wasn’t just an honor. It was a symbol of how far he had come, and a promise that KPF would continue standing beside him and LaToya as they moved forward.
“KPF’s support took a huge weight off my mom’s shoulders,” Garnett said. With help from The Lucye Caplan Broken Wheel Award, Garnett secured reliable transportation, and LaToya was able to cover major medical expenses that had once seemed impossible to manage. “Without KPF,” he added, “our situation would’ve been overwhelming. This meant the world to us.”
Now, at 17, Garnett looks toward the future with hope and confidence. LaToya often says that KPF showed them both what true inclusion looks like, and how a community built on compassion can transform fear into strength and uncertainty into resilience.
“They helped me understand that I’m not walking this journey alone,” Garnett said. “I’m part of a family that lifts me up, empowers me, and champions me.”
And just as Garnett once learned about KPF through others, he now hopes his story will be the one someone hears, sparking the same hope, the same courage, and the same life-changing first step into a community where no one walks through their journey alone.