The summer months have kept us busy at Sullivan’s Heroes, with further new applicants to the charity for support with their home adaptations projects. 

A major project to build ‘Emani’s Bedroom & Bathroom – Garage Conversion’ requires £50,000 to be raised above the Disabled Facilities Grant awarded for the 14-year-old’s project, which will convert the existing garage or rebuild it completely to create a downstairs bathroom and increase his bedroom space, together with providing safe access via a small internal platform lift to the kitchen and garden.   

Emani’s Mum advises:

”Emani now sleeps downstairs in the front living room, I sleep in the adjoining room. He needs assistance with every aspect of his life, constant monitoring day and night. Emani has not been able to access the bathroom or the kitchen for over a decade. We rely on the rare visit to the Hospice for a bath, or when possible a quick shower after Hydrotherapy at school. Access to the garden, and in and out of the house is incredibly unsafe. The pressure is on to complete the adaptions as he is due an important operation in 2022, and it would be a huge relief for his post-operative care to take place in an environment that is safe and suitable to optimise his recovery.”

Ishani’s family are also busy fundraising for ‘Funding Ishani’s Forever Home’ – to meet the £70,000 required above the Disabled Facilities Grant awarded for the adaptations project – to provide a bedroom, bathroom and therapy room, plus adapt the house to give access for 7-year-old Ishani to move about safely.

Ishani’s Mum explains:

”Presently Ishani is outgrowing the equipment that gives her the most freedom and desperately needs a proper soft play area where she can roll about freely and learn to stand on her own and develop her motor skills safely. Currently, half the living room is her soft play area which she occupies with at least one carer, the other half has to be for the rest of the family. We need to provide Ishani with her own bespoke facilities where she will be able to move about freely in her harness, with safe bathing and dignity as she gets older.”

Meanwhile Rez’s family are raising the funds required for a ‘Downstairs bedroom and wet room for Rez’ – to meet the £10,300 required above the Disabled Facilities Grant awarded to provide a safe and relaxing downstairs bedroom and wetroom for 13-year-old Rez.

Rez’s Mum elaborates:

”Rez has multiple diagnoses but it is his severe epilepsy and deterioration of mobility that means he is in desperate need of a downstairs bedroom and wet room. He is struggling with the stairs, which is putting him and myself at risk the bigger he is getting. We need to change our living space downstairs and add a bedroom and wet room for him so he can continue living at home safely for many years to come.”

We also bring news of gratefully received support from various sources across the summer months. ‘Courageous Cory’s Big Build’ which is nearing completion has been boosted towards their £60,000 target with the aid of Lake House Charitable Foundation; Veronica Awdry Charitable Trust and The Gibbons Family Trust.

In addition, ‘Ruby’s Big Build’ received funds from Howdens towards her £35,000 fundraising target. Help has also been on-hand from Screwfix Foundation, with a generous £5,000 grant towards funds for the children being supported by Sullivan’s Heroes.

We’re also delighted to bring news of not just one, but two recently completed projects!

'Dylan's new bedroom and bathroom' project saw Dylan and his family get busy fundraising the £8,000 needed above the Disabled Facilities Grant awarded, to extend Dylan's bedroom and the family bathroom to give the soon to be 9-year-old the space that he will need as he gets bigger.

As Dylan’s Dad advises: 

“Dylan’s bedroom was too small to be able to comfortably move him around easily in his wheelchair and the bathroom was very small. The new bedroom and bathroom have given us a good space for the wheelchair, hoisting from the bedroom to the bathroom and a hi-lo bath which has enabled us to be able to be get Dylan in the bath much more easily without damaging our backs”.

“It has made life so much easier being able to have the space to care for Dylan – he now has the equipment that he needs and the space that we can comfortably live in as a family.”

Equally impressive is the newly extended home to meet 9-year-old Matthew’s needs. The project involved raising £20,000 above the Disabled Facilities Grant awarded to extend and open up the family home – creating new access at the rear of property, including new slabbing and a ramp; extending the current dining room and relocating the kitchen area to allow more space for Matthew and his equipment; building a new accessible wet room plus installing a ceiling track hoist in Matthew’s bedroom.

Matthew’s Mum tells us: 

“We were really struggling with the set up at home and Matthew could never fully be part of the family areas of the home and be included. We can now care for Matthew in a safe and comfortable way and can all be part of our living space as a family. Matthew is a different boy since we’ve been home. He is happier and calmer and he clearly feels more secure, relaxed and included – and we are less stressed and exhausted. It has been completely life changing.”

We’re delighted to see these beautiful and practical spaces completed and making such a difference for the children – and we look forward to bringing further news of those families currently fundraising towards their project targets.

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.