We couldn’t be happier to see ‘Filip’s journey to come back home’ concluded, with 7-year-old Filip returning home, having spent the past two years in hospital due to the unsuitability of his previous home environment in meeting his care requirements.
Prior to the adaptations being made, Filip’s mum Oliwia gave us an insight into the problems faced:
“Our worst nightmare came true when our little boy was diagnosed with a brain tumour. He is a wheelchair user and he requires 24/7 care. His bed is currently in a living room and we do not have a wet room to wash him and provide him his own personal space.”
Oliwia continues, detailing the challenges faced by the family which saw them hospitalised for over 2 years.
“We were not able to live in our own home because it was not adapted and suitable for our son’s needs after he became ill.”
The works to build a ground floor bedroom and wet room extension, with specialist equipment and ceiling track hoists to ensure a safe environment for Filip, saw a shortfall of £24,000 required above the council grant funding awarded to meet the project costs.
Filip’s Mum explains how being signed up with Sullivan’s Heroes helped the process:
“Wow, where do I start. Fiona is like a Wikipedia in terms of charities and places to go and ask for help but also herself, she was able to advise me over the phone whenever I had some problems or was not sure about something she always had good advice to give and helped me approach things differently.”
“First of all, Sullivan's Heroes was one of the donors who contributed to our goal. And second, thanks to them we knew where to go and who to ask for help … which companies and other charities are able to help with specific things.”
That knowledge proved useful as the family were supported along the fundraising route by kind donations to their JustGiving page, together with help from organisations such as Independence at Home who assisted in funding a new boiler system to ensure Filip’s new spaces are sufficiently heated.
Granite Worktops generously met the costs of a specialist bath for Filip, whose father works for the company. This provides a relaxing place for Filip to wash at home – something he has never previously been able to experience.
Oliwia’s former employee Arco Clothing Centre Preston and the team of Oliwia’s previous work colleagues undertook a range of fundraising initiatives including sales, raffles and competitions to enable the final flooring and underfloor heating costs to be met – completing the project and allowing Filip to be discharged from hospital to the comfort and safety of his newly adapted home.
Now that the family is finally reunited at home together, Filip’s mum reflects on the journey.
“The help from Sullivan's Heroes is irreplaceable because of their knowledge and commitment and the will to help. Our journey was at some points less scary, because I knew I can call Fiona and ask her and talk with her as she would be able to advise and support me in this challenging time.”
“We are very grateful that we met Fiona and found out about Sullivan’s Heroes as thanks to them showing up in our life we had someone to talk to; someone who was able to advise us in a very specific way; someone who pointed us in the direction and contacted other people that we needed to ask for help.”
Oliwia’s final words on the project echo our delight at Sullivan’s Heroes to see Filip back home where he belongs:
“Thanks to all the help that we had for the project, when it was finished it allowed us to come back home from the hospital and have a safe and suitable place for our son that meets all his needs.”
“The adaptations have allowed us to be all together in our own home after 767 days in hospital. It helped us to be a family again. It makes Filip’s home suitable for his needs and it helps us be able to take care of him.”
