While it’s hot, hot, hot outdoors ... so too is our news of not just one, but two more fantastic adaptation projects being completed through Sullivan’s Heroes.
The recently concluded ‘Raising Funds for Hattie’s bedroom’ – towards the £10,428 target needed above the Disabled Facilities Grant and top-up funding awarded from the council towards the works – has seen the extension and adaptations project finalised for 4-year-old Hattie’s new bedroom, incorporating new level access and a ramp straight to the garden to enjoy the outdoors!
Hattie’s parents tell us:
“There was not enough space in the upstairs bedroom and due to Hattie not being fully mobile we had to carry her to the bathroom and bedroom each day. The adaptations will give Hattie her freedom and safe space within the household, allowing her to develop at her own pace within a space she feels confident using as it has no obstacles to overcome such as stairs. The extra funding also allowed for the access ramp to be extended across the back of the house to give her full access around the rear of the property and into the garden.”
While at Joey’s recently extended house, 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.
Joey’s Mum tells us:
“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 he also has hoisting in three rooms. He has a specialised bath which has enough space for him and bathing equipment. The adaptations will change all our lives for the better.”
Sullivan’s Heroes has enrolled many new applicants to the charity over the recent weeks too – with the latest of those being Ella and Finley.
‘Ella’s house adaptations’ requires £6,500 to be raised above the Disabled Facilities Grant and council funding awarded for the project – creating level access into the house, lowering door thresholds and widening internal doors; installing a through floor lift and ceiling track hoists; together with creating a wet room and accessible bedroom for Ella.
Ella’s parents explains:
“Ella is our beautiful 7 year old daughter who has a rare genetic condition and complex medical needs. Ella was born with Tetralogy of Fallot which is a congenital heart defect which required open heart surgery at 3 months old. Around the same time, Ella was diagnosed with West syndrome which entails uncontrollable epilepsy and severe global developmental delay. This has now developed into Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Alongside this Ella also has skeletal abnormalities. Ella is unable to sit unaided so she requires specialist seating, and she is unable to mobilise. She requires constant care for all her needs."
“The adaptations will allow Ella to access her bedroom and bathroom safely with the use of a through floor lift and ceiling track hoists. As Ella is getting bigger it is getting more difficult and unsafe to lift Ella and carry her up/down the stairs. These adaptations will make our day-to-day life so much easier and safer.”
Meanwhile, ‘Finley’s new bathroom and bedroom’ requires £40,000 to be raised above the Disabled Facilities Grant awarded, to extend and restructure the existing family home to provide Finley with a ground floor bedroom and wet room with tracking and hoist, along with improved access to the property and back garden.
Finley’s Dad explains:
“Finley had a hard start in life and was in hospital for the first 6 months of life and constantly in and out of hospital for the next 18 months. He was born with a Congenital heart defect which he had repaired in 2017 but his right lung collapsed after surgery and he needed to go on Life Support and unfortunately had a massive stroke. He suffers from seizures and left sided weakness which has hampered his development drastically.”
“He now needs a level access bedroom and wet room which unfortunately the Disabled Facilities Grant does not cover it all. He desperately needs the building work done, so any support that people can offer would be truly amazing, thank you.”
Other projects are well underway, making good use of the summer dry weather. ‘Keira’s BIG Build’ continues to make steady progress; whilst the ‘Funding Ishani’s Forever Home’ project saw 7-year-old Ishani checking out her new spaces for the first time recently, much to our excitement!
Watch the video here of Ishani seeing her newly adapted spaces for the first time!
We were delighted also to see the support Howdens brought to Ishani’s project featured by them recently; along with features from Hospitality Action about their funding towards ‘Ruby’s Big Build’, where building works have reached the stages of fitting non-slip flooring for Ruby’s wheelchair and mobility equipment.
‘Building Thomas a Future in Bromley Cross’ is also progressing well, with the funds boosted significantly by a generous contribution from The Rigby Family Charitable Trust.
Thomas’ Dad Ian kindly took some time out from the building works recently to document the fundraising process they undertook with Sullivan’s Heroes, to offer some insight ongoing for other families – so we sign off with his wise words here!
Please do get in touch if you have any fundraising events, activities and ideas you’d like to share with us; or if you would like to apply for a grant or to fundraise through Sullivan’s Heroes.
Thank you for your ongoing support, it is greatly appreciated.
