Today’s Magic of Giving Holiday Market in Brantford to raise funds for Lansdowne

Market organizer inspired by personal connection: ‘We would have been completely lost without Lansdowne’

Media Release Brantford -

The Magic of Giving Holiday Market, taking place today, Nov. 2, will be a chance to deck your halls with creations and specialities from local artists and businesses, while also supporting Lansdowne Children’s Centre. The event is headed by Julie Neal, a local real estate agent and the owner of Style Haven Home Décor.

Neal is also the mom of Tenley, who attends Lansdowne for various therapies and supports. Neal wanted to do something to help support Lansdowne, both financially and by raising the organization’s profile.

“I do think there's so much more awareness that we need to spread in our city, county, area,” she said. “And I get it; if you don't have a special needs child, or a kiddo that needs to go to speech or something like that, then you would have no idea, unless somebody in your circle is involved.”

She said in her opinion, Lansdowne is “such an amazing organization, I feel like so many people would be willing to donate or be involved or volunteer ... to help with our vulnerable population,” if they knew about the work Lansdowne does.

Neal said she was a person who had no idea about Lansdowne until a couple of months after the birth of her daughter, Tenley, who’s turning 10 in January “She was born with a brain disorder,” Neal said. “The pregnancy was perfectly normal, no issues, and then we gave birth to her naturally, no problems there.”

It wasn’t until Tenley was around two months old that Neal noticed her daughter would always hold her hand in a sort of fist While she thought it was odd, “I really didn’t worry about it.”

At four months old, Neal’s sister-in-law, who is a nurse, recommended Tenley get checked out, because she still wasn’t playing with any toys A family doctor referred Tenley to a pediatrician, who determined she had developmental delays.

“I was like, ‘OK. I don’t really know what that means, but OK.’ Then we were referred to Lansdowne at that point.”

It was during an appointment at Lansdowne that Tenley had her first seizure.

“It was very scary. I didn’t know what the heck was going on, because I had never seen a seizure in my entire life. And obviously when it’s your child, you’re absolutely horrified and terrified,” Neal said.

A long night followed, as Tenley experienced dozens of sequential seizures.

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Tenley and her family appreciate the support of the Lansdowne Children’s Centre so to give back they are hosting a holiday market today in Brantford.