Dylan Breen, seated, is joined by family members and Sea Isle City officials during his donation of the pediatric beach wheelchair. (Photo courtesy of Sea Isle City)
During the 2023-2024 school year, Dylan Breen, had to choose a worthy cause for his senior class project at Downingtown East High School in Chester County, Pa.
Because he wanted to help children with disabilities, the Sea Isle City summer resident decided to raise funds for a pediatric beach wheelchair, which he has now donated to the Recreation Office’s Beach Wheelchair Program.
Dylan, 19, who has Osteogenesis Imperfecta (a condition sometimes referred to as “Brittle Bone Disease”), achieved his goal by asking his family, neighbors and friends to donate money.
Before long, he raised the $2,800 he needed to purchase the pediatric beach wheelchair. Afterwards, he contacted the Believe and Achieve Foundation, an organization that helps children and families in need, and they used Dylan’s $2,800 to purchase the chair on his behalf.
On May 26, Dylan, several members of his family and representatives from Believe and Achieve arrived at Sea Isle’s Dealy Field Recreation Complex with the new chair. It is appropriately sized for children and fitted with large rubber wheels that can travel over beach sand.
Dylan Breen has his photo taken with former Philadelphia Eagles star center Jason Kelce during an autism awareness fundraising event in Sea Isle in 2022.
Spending much of his time in a wheelchair himself, Dylan said he raised the money for the pediatric chair because he wanted to give back to the community and help other people like him – and he hopes he can continue to do more for others in the future.
“There are always going to be setbacks in life, but as long as you don’t let them consume you and you persevere through, you’ll do great things,” Dylan said.
According to Recreation Leader Bill Kehner Jr., Dylan’s donation resulted in the Recreation Office gaining its first pediatric wheelchair.
“I am sure this chair will get a lot of use,” said Kehner, who oversees Sea Isle’s Beach Wheelchair Program. “Each year, out of the large number of people who borrow our beach wheelchairs, there are those who come to us with children who need to use a wheelchair for various reasons – and this new chair will be very helpful because it provides an option that is more suitable for children. We are very grateful to Dylan for his kind donation.”
To learn more about Sea Isle City’s Beach Wheelchair Program, call 609-263-0050 or go to
www.VISITSICNJ.com and click the “Beach/Beach Wheelchairs” link.
