Tommy and his family are so pleased now the soon to be 9-year-old has his own accessible downstairs bedroom and bathroom – what a fantastic birthday present!
Given that Tommy will grow up and probably live all of his adult life in his house, it was important that Tommy could be provided with his own independence and privacy.
Awarded a £30,000 Disabled Facilities Grant for the extension project to Tommy’s home – there still remained £20,000 needed to fund the full project.
Tommy’s Mum explains the difficulties faced by Tommy and the family before the project took place:
“We had to carry Tommy up and down the stairs all the time, also in and out of the bath. Tommy had no privacy and no independence.”
The extension that has been built on the house has allowed for a new bedroom for Tommy, together with a wetroom including a specific toilet to meet his needs. The extensive works required relocating the existing kitchen, to create the new space which will enable Tommy to wash and clean himself, plus provide enough space for him to be able to use his wheelchair around the home.
Having heard of Sullivan’s Heroes via the internet, Tommy’s family fundraised through the charity by various methods to meet the funds needed for the project.
Tommy’s Mum talks of the benefit the charity brought to the project:
“Sullivan’s Heroes provided a lot of support and information, also we had a £500 grant from them which went towards the work. Fiona was very kind and always listened to me and told me things to do for fundraising. Thank you.”
Continuing, Tommy’s Mum details how Sullivan’s Heroes can help families with similar adaptations projects:
“The charity is very beneficial as they can help set up fundraising pages and they cover the fees that these pages usually take from you.”
Tommy’s Mum concludes by explaining the life-changing differences the adaptations bring to Tommy and the family as a whole:
“With Tommy’s extension he now has a downstairs wet room and bedroom all to himself so there is no need to carry him up and down stairs. Tommy is now able to relax in his own room, have his own privacy and it will be even more so when he is older that this will really benefit him.”
