In August, Keith Liggett suffered a severe stroke that changed his life completely.

After spending four months in hospital, Keith now lives at Rocky Mountain Village in Fernie, where he is adjusting to a profoundly altered daily reality. The stroke left the left side of his body paralyzed. His speech and vision have been affected, and the independence he once relied on has been taken away.

We are a group of Keith’s close friends and family, helping him through a difficult physical and emotional transition after a debilitating stroke. We are working to give him back some measure of freedom, comfort, and dignity.

Who is Keith?

Keith has been a familiar Fernie face since arriving in the early 2000s, drawn here by the mountains, the outdoors, the arts, and the community.

He is a friend, skier, poet, writer, supporter of arts and culture, and a lover of food, wine, travel, and conversation. Over the years, Keith has generously shared his time, encouragement, and expertise with writers of all ages, helping others find their voice.

Keith has always found comfort in movement and travel. He loved getting in the car, driving for hours, exploring hidden corners of the country, and using the open road as a way to think, reset, and make sense of life.

Now, Keith is confined not only by the limits of his body, but by constant pain in his immobile limbs. It is a pain he can no longer drive away from.

How Your Support Will Help:

A custom-fitted one-arm-drive wheelchair would make an enormous difference in Keith’s life.

This specialized wheelchair would allow Keith to propel, stop and steer using his capable arm. It would give him back a vital piece of independence: the ability to move through his day with more freedom, comfort, and control.

Keith also requires regular physiotherapy to help maintain movement and motor function in the arm and leg he can still use. Ongoing therapy will support strength, reduce muscle spasticity, help manage pain, and improve his ability to participate in daily life.

The funds raised will go directly toward:

Custom one-arm-drive wheelchair: $13,000

This includes a custom-fitted back support, tilt-chair option for comfort during extended sitting, one-arm drive system, side cushioning, protective footbox, and an air-cushioned adjustable seat cushion.

One year of physiotherapy: $11,960

Two sessions per week at $230 per week for 52 weeks.

Together, these supports will help Keith regain some of the independence, dignity, and quality of life that the stroke has taken from him.

We are asking Keith’s friends, acquaintances, and the wider Fernie community to rally around him.

Any contribution, large or small, will help Keith move forward with greater comfort, mobility, and hope.

Thank you for supporting Keith.