Montreal boy's wish gets made

By TOM STANKARD

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MONTREAL, Wis. - Kolton Ouellette will never lead a normal life.

The 3-year-old boy can't walk, talk, or even open his eyes fully because he was a victim of a crime 19 months ago.

In October of 2013, Kolton's mother, Jennifer Shepard, left her son with her boyfriend, Brandon Brunette. Kolton, 18 months old at the time, was crying because he fell off the couch, so Brunette tried to console him, but Kolton wouldn't stop crying, causing Brunette to become frustrated until he couldn't take it anymore.

"Brandon threw him 10 to 15 feet across the room and he hit the wall and the television stand," said Kristine Ouellette, of Montreal, Kolton's grandmother.

Brunette is serving 15 years in prison on a Forest County sentence for child abuse and related crimes. As a result of his actions, Kolton still suffers from a dramatic brain injury.

As for Kolton's mom, Shepard, of Wabeno, was sentenced for attempting to cover for her boyfriend, instead of protecting her child. She was sentenced two years of probation, with 180 days to be spent in jail.

Ouellette wasn't there at the time, but she takes care of Kolton at her home in Montreal and feels the effects of it every day.

"I live it because I take care of him," she said. "He will never get his first kiss, go to prom or drive a car. It's devastating to our family, our friends and everybody that knows us."

Later on, Kristine said she received an email from a Make a Wish Foundation employee.

"The person said 'I've been following this story and want to send you an application to get his wish granted.'"

Kristine said the foundation could have given Kolton anything he wanted, a cruise, or even a visit from the Green Bay Packers. But she said she wanted his wish to be something that would last forever.

Kristine said she had been wanting to redecorate Kolton's bedroom for some time and this was a perfect opportunity.

While the family ate lunch in Hurley Wednesday, Make a Wish Foundation employees reformed Kolton's room in the theme of a jungle. They made the bed with jungle-themed blankets and pillow covers. To complete the jungle theme, they gave Kolton stuffed animals and put fake palm trees in his room.

Kristine said the room is an addition to the house and will cost about $48,000. The family is raising money online.

Kristine said Kolton's bedroom means a lot. "It means so much to me," she said. "It gives me closure and now I can focus on Kolton."