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William's gained his independence

William and his family are very excited now that the £23,163 required to build a ground floor bedroom and adjoining wet room to meet William’s needs has been met, and the project has now been completed.

william1_400x272As William’s Mum explains “When William was around 2 years old we realised our house would soon not meet his needs. We struggled to carry William up and down the stairs to his bedroom and the bathroom. We also found it hard to lift William in and out of his cot and the bath. Lifting him in and out of his high chair was also a daily struggle. William doesn't understand dangers so having him upstairs in the future was a worry for us.

“An Occupational Therapist came to visit us at home and after finding out what our daily struggles were and after looking around the house, suggested we needed to have a downstairs bedroom and bathroom installed to meet William’s needs.

image1

“Having William’s bedroom and an adjacent bathroom downstairs now has been truly life changing
for us and for William.

image7“We have finally been able to take delivery of his high to image2low bed that couldn't fit in his old bedroom, which means William is safe at night when sleeping. But also, it's more comfortable for us when changing him. He has a ramp so that he can shuffle in and out of his bed, giving William some much needed independence.image8

“William has a high to low sink in his bathroom and this is encouraging him to stand with support while washing his hands and helps with water play.

“We have a hoist fitted so we can safely and comfortably get him in and out of the bath.

"He also has a toilet chair over his toilet which could not fit in our image6old bathroom. This has encouraged William to use this daily, which he wouldn't do before.

“William also has a stretcher table over his bath so we can dry and change him in the bathroom and take him back to his room warm and dressed.image5

image3“All doorways downstairs in the
house have been widened so William can go anywhere he wants if he's in his wheelchair.

“The driveway and the entrance to the front door has been bricked and levelled to make it easier to push his wheelchair over them. This also makes it suitable for a walker if William needs one in the future.

William’s Mum continues “The difference this has made to our daily lives is phenomenal. Firstly, the weight has lifted from our shoulders – the struggle we faced every day and the worry for his and our future in the house has gone.

“Daily tasks like putting him to bed, bathing him and getting him around the house is now as easy as it should be for any family with any needs.

image4William’s Mum concludes “Sullivan’s Heroes helped us through the fundraising process. We had received a Disabled Facilities Grant but this did not cover the cost of the build.

"Sullivan’s Heroes gave me lots of information and ideas on where to start with fundraising, and also other charities that may be able to help us.  Fiona at Sullivan’s Heroes supported me through the whole process and was also very helpful and had lots of knowledge.

"The charity also set up a fundraising link on their website and Facebook page and helped to advertise William’s project to raise the funds needed.”

View William's Fundraising Project Page here.