Another week ... and another completed adaptations project from Sullivan’s Heroes!
This latest tremendous transformation brings to a close ‘Joey’s Journey’ – to meet the £10,000 required above the Disabled Facilities Grant awarded, to provide a downstairs accessible ground floor bedroom and wetroom for 7-year-old Joey, in order for him to be safe in his living space and access bathing and toileting facilities safely.
Prior to the building works getting underway, Joey’s Mum explained the requirements for these adaptations:
“Because of Joey’s needs we are having to adapt our house to accommodate equipment and hoisting. Currently I am lifting him for everything and he isn’t far off my height and he’s heavy. This limits his activities at times as it’s getting so difficult to put him in equipment like his bike, wheelchair, walker and standing frame! We are creating a wet room and bedroom downstairs for him to enable him to have greater access to the things that we take for granted, like having a bath or shower and using the toilet.”
Joey’s Mum continues:
“As Joey got older, it became increasingly difficult to manoeuver both him and his equipment around the house. He is non-mobile so lifting him became a challenge especially with his dystonia and severe extension. Space was a huge issue as we had no turning spaces when carrying him around, and up and down the stairs was becoming quite dangerous.”
With Joey’s Mum previously working in the education sector, the family were able to secure the target funds required through Sullivans Heroes from a number of external sources including Teaching Staff Trust and Hospital Saturday Fund, as Joey’s Mum elaborates:
“Sullivan’s Heroes helped us by sourcing different charities and helping us with the forms and were exceedingly patient when life got in the way and I got delayed!”
Now that the adaptations are finished and being used on a daily basis, Joey’s Mum details what this means for the family:
“We now have two adapted rooms that are specifically for Joey – a wet room and a bedroom. Both have ample space for him and his equipment and thanks to Sullivan’s Heroes helping us with an application to Education Support, he also has hoisting in three rooms. He has a specialised bath which has enough space for him and bathing equipment and again we can hoist him.”
“Joey has more space to move around and can even move around in his hoist. My back will be eternally grateful for the hoisting! It will hopefully be easier for everyone to sleep as he is awake most of the night. The adaptations will change all our lives for the better.”
Joey’s Mum enlightens us further on how Sullivan’s Heroes helped them through the fundraising journey:
“Sullivan’s Heroes helped us tremendously. Without their support we wouldn't have had a clue where to start with looking at charities as we were self-funding a lot of the build. Thanks to them, we have hoisting and flooring in all his rooms. It also meant that we were able to spend our own money to create easier access to the house for Joey.”
“Sullivan’s Heroes is an incredible charity that helped us at a really difficult time. Having a severely disabled child is not easy and life becomes challenging. Their support was invaluable. It made it easier for other charities to help us out as it makes fundraising more official and people take us more seriously.”
We’re delighted at Sullivan’s Heroes to hear of the success of Joey’s new spaces, and sign off with this lovely sentiment from Joey’s Mum:
“I just want to say a huge thank you for Sullivan’s Heroes’ support and patience. You have been incredible. We appreciate your support so much and you really have helped to change our lives for the better!”
