Walking for Jahan: A family’s fight for Accessibility, Inclusion and Care

By Riley Murphy

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

At the 2026 Walk and Roll for Muscular Dystrophy Canada, teams gathered around, ready to take on the day and raise funds for neuromuscular research, advocacy, and life-changing treatments.

One team, Team J, stood loud and proud that day, adorned in matching t-shirts, pins and hats.

Team J is named after Mayfield student and community advocate Jahan Chahal.

Jahan was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy at only 15 months old, a severe, progressive genetic disorder characterized by the deterioration of skeletal, heart, and lung muscles.

Since 2013, the Chalal family has been participating in a walk for muscular dystrophy and has raised over $300,000 for Duchenne research and support. Their team has since grown to support both Defeat Duchenne Canada and Muscular Dystrophy Canada.

But they don't just participate to fundraise; for the Chahal family, it's about proving that during hard times, one of the most important things is community.

During the 2026 walk, Jahan's mother, Natasha Chahal, took the time to address the group standing before her that day.

This year alone, they raised approximately $20,000 for both organizations, bringing the total to over $300,000 over the past 12 years.

“The number is incredible, but what means even more is seeing you all here today,” said Natasha. “Jahan's walk was never about raising awareness or just raising funds, but it's about bringing people together, creating these memories and showing what happens when a community rallies around a child, and the cause is for life.”

“Today for us is not just about Duchenne, it is about Jahan,” she continued. “It is about the incredible community that refuses to let our family walk this road alone. A community that reminds us that while we may not be able to change our diagnosis today, we can change how our family and their child experiences this journey. Today is about love, resilience, and belonging.”

For Jahan, he says the Team J walk is an even better day than his birthday.

But the Chahal families' advocacy does not end at the Team J walk; it hits closer to home this year.

Beginning his Grade 9 year at Mayfield Secondary School at the start of this school year, Natasha says Jahan had high hopes for the year ahead.

They had always dreamed of him attending Mayfield and hadn't ever considered sending him anywhere else.

But, earlier this year, Jahan had a life-changing fall, resulting in his loss of the ability to walk.

For him, this meant changing many of the things he had looked forward to for years at his new school, such as gym class.

Since the year began, Natasha says she's been advocating for Jahan to have a consistent Educational Assistant for the year, adding that it's important that the EA and Jahan form a relationship.

But since his fall, it has been more crucial than ever to get someone who can truly care, she says.

“You don't realize how inaccessible the world is until someone you love needs accessibility,” said Natasha.

Throughout the year, the Chahal family has had to buy new supports for their cars and home and is now looking to buy a more accessible home, doing all that while advocating for Jahan at school.

Natasha says she spoke to the school about finding someone consistent, not someone who “forgets about him numerous times a day.”

“He's declining in his position, and they're not offering the support that Canadians are supposed to get,” said Natasha. “This is accessibility.”

Since their advocacy began, Jahan has been assigned to an EA he had previously worked with, and for the new year, a specific EA has been hired for the role.

She added that Grade Nine is already a significant change for any student, but on top of that, her son has to worry about things that other people never have to.

Despite the ongoing advocacy, Natahsa said many of the aspects of the school have been great, and Jahan truly enjoys the experiences and the opportunities at Mayfield.

For her, she says she just wants her son to enjoy school without fear or worries.

The Team J walk, she said, is one of the few times she sees the worry melt off his face, unlike the constant pressure and nervousness he experiences in environments such as school.

The walk has transformed into more than the two could have ever imagined, with relatives and friends flying down across the country to participate.

But for their family, it's about advocating for the people more than the fundraising, and it will continue to be for years to come.

“Due to privacy and confidentiality, the school board will not comment on the specific services and supports we provide a student,” said the Peel District School Board in a statement. “Peel District School Board provides a comprehensive range of supports and services for students, as outlined in its Special Education Plan. These supports are designed to respond to students' individual strengths and needs through ongoing collaboration with families and school teams. Educational Assistants are allocated based on identified personal care and safety needs, which are collaboratively determined with input from families/caregivers and PDSB staff.

“In addition, supports include access to Professional Support Services Personnel (PSSP), such as Occupational Therapists, who can assess and assign specialized equipment and make program and environmental recommendations to support accessible learning environments across all curricular areas. Together, school and central staff work collaboratively to create inclusive, supportive, and responsive learning environments, for all students.”