Home Free Home

Sgt. Petrone Project in Conn.

Police Sergeant, Roger Petrone has been battling ALS  (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) since 2007.  With the degenerative effects of ALS, Roger requires assistance when transferring from the bed or a chair and depends on others for most or all personal hygiene tasks.  Using the cramped bathroom in his old house became extremely dangerous for both Roger and his support caregivers.  Volunteer Architect, Andrew Robinson, AIA designed a new bathroom that is both safe and accessible.               Many volunteers and the generous donations of materials made this project possible, including  the combined support from Greenwich Police Dept. colleagues, local Greenwich businesses and contractors, and Compassionate Care ALS. 

Safe Home for Sydni in Boston

Sydni is a delightful girl who will turn 7 this November. Due to a brain tumor, Sydni is non-verbal and is learning to communicate using a high tech device. Despite mobility troubles, she enthusiastically explores the world around her. Defying all medical expectations, she starting walking in a gait trainer, this last year and is making excellent progress.

Sydni lives with her mother, sister and brother in South Boston, in a small 800 square foot apartment. The apartment building is only accessible by stairs and it takes two adults to carry Syndi and her wheel chair in and out.

Volunteer Architect , Leonardi Aray and Marissa Lisec, intern architect, designed a renovation that includes a safe accessible entrance, an accessible bathroom, new living  space and a bedroom large enough for her hospital bed.

These changes will greatly improve daily life for Sydni and her whole family.  Also, the new space will allow her to continue to work on her physical therapy exercises, aqua therapy and give her chance to strengthen her muscles and walk around independently.

Friends and family are working on raising funds for this project. To donate funds for construction select “Home for Sydni” on our donations page.

Danny’s NEW ROOM

Danny smiles a lot, is an avid Yankees fan and loves showing us how many sit-ups he can do. When we first met Danny two years ago, he was recovering from an accident with a traumatic brain injury and he was stuck in a hospital bed in the center of the family living room.  He needed an accessible bathroom, with a roll in shower to have some privacy.

With a new design by volunteer Jerry Ciccari, Architect, our  HFH volunteers from CJ Construction started  with the demolition of the existing bedroom and bathroom.  With funds from the Town of Hempstead, we were able to construct a new large fully accessible bathroom.  A door leads to the backyard deck, which was built by volunteers from Rebuilding Together Long Island.

RAMP for NEWARK CHURCH

Dr. Gloria White , Pastor of the Mount Zion Baptist Church says the older members of her congregation are “sometimes weak of body, but always strong of spirit”.  Their beautiful stone church has stairs at the front portico and three or more steps at all the entrances. To get to Sunday worship, the food pantry and other vital services the elder members of the congregation all need to be helped or even carried up the steps.

Many of them who could not climb the stairs were excluded from services. The old stone block of the outside steps create a very dangerous situation and even more treacherous when there is rain or snow.

Built in 1886, the classic Gothic Revival church in Newark, New Jersey, does not meet current ADA standards and building codes. Architects Les Tribble and Dave Buckman of Buckman Architectural Group have designed a new ramp that will allow people who use wheelchairs, scooters and walkers to enter the church. In April they completed the plans and applied for a building permit.

EMILY COOKS in NEW KITCHEN

Emily was excited to see her new kitchen for the first time when she came home for spring break from Adelphi University.  She is really enjoying being able to cook on her own. Her mother , Ellen says “our dream kitchen is finally a reality” !

Both Emily and her mother have  limited mobility due to Larsen’s Syndrome, a rare congenital disorder that affects bones and joints.   Volunteer Architect, Mark Wittenberg and Vita Burdi of DJ’s Home Improvements,  designed a kitchen especially adapted to meet the abilities of  mother and daughter. Emily’s space has a countertop that is low with open space to wheel-in underneath.  It has a small sink with an easy to use single lever faucet. The low profile induction cook top lets her slide pots on and off . The side by side refrigerator allows Emily to reach the freezer.  Other details include: pull out drawers for pots, easy to reach outlets and light switches.

The construction went very smoothly and the Ladau’s say that Vita and Jerry Burdi of DJ’s construction “have been an absolute pleasure to work with”. A special thanks to the following for the generous discounts and timely help with this project; Appliance World, All Island Countertop Fabrication, Consumers Kitchens and Baths, and JP Painting.

NEW BATHROOM FOR PAUL

At age 64, Paul says has “gotten by and made do” for many years. Paul is an inventor and has ingeniously adapted his 1905s Levitt house to meet his needs. He has installed jerry-rigged ramps and handles, allowing him to push his wheelchair around his house. In his bathroom, the edge of the sink cabinet broke years ago from using it as a grab bar, and getting into the old tub is very dangerous.

Paul was born with cerebral palsy and has limited use of his right arm.  Paul values his independence. However, with age, his already erratic muscle control is worsening and he is becoming more dependent on a caregiver.

Paul’s situation is an accident waiting to happen. He is truly one fall away from spending the rest of his life in a nursing home.  HFH volunteer architect, Laura Montllor has designed a new bathroom, which includes a wheel-in shower.  This will allow Paul to safely maintain his independence and privacy.

Your donation will make his accessible new bathroom a reality in 2011.  Please give today!

Designing a Kitchen for Emily

Smart and charming, Emily Ladau is 19 years old and a Dean’s List honor student at Adelphi University.   She also has Larsen’s Syndrome, a rare congenital disorder that affects all of her bones and joints.  Emily has endured numerous surgeries but still needs to use a wheelchair everyday .

Emily’s mother, Ellen, is 49 and has the same disorder and she too has had many surgical procedures.   She uses a walker or power wheelchair depending on whether she is wearing her leg brace or the distances needed to be traveled.  Ellen, her husband Marc, and Emily have lived in a two bedroom 1950’s ranch style house on Long Island since 1996.   Over the years they have added a ramp and an accessible bathroom, with the generous help of their family.

The old original kitchen is still a source of daily frustration for them. There are many high and low areas that can’t be accessed. Carrying pots and pans to and  from the stove is difficult because their hands are either on walker handles or their wheelchairs. Many kitchen  tasks just have to be postponed until Marc is home from work. Since Emily is quite  petite she can not reach the sink or countertop and can not prepare even the simplest of meals for herself.

Architect, Mark Wittenberg has designed a new “ mother – daughter “ kitchen for them.  It includes two prep areas one with a counters slightly lower than regular height with a open spaces under the sink and the cook top,  On the other side of the kitchen is a space for Emily.  It has countertop that is shallow ( 20”) and low ( 30”) .  It has a small sink with an single lever faucet.  A side by side refrigerator will allow Emily to reach the freezer.  Other details include: pull out drawers for pots, easy to reach outlets and light switches and an under counter  microwave.

Volunteer Architect Mark Wittenberg and the Ladau family

The Ladau family is thrilled with the design and Emily says ” I can’t wait to cook my own full course meal.”  And Ellen is looking forward to more independence in her kitchen and teaching her daughter the skills she will need to live a more independent life. “We are so grateful to have found Home Free Home and know that with their guidance we will finally get a functional kitchen.”

More Independence for JT

JT Meredith is handsome young man with bright eyes.  In November of 2007 he was walking home from school with friends when a car hit him. As a result of the accident JT has a traumatic brain injury, which has limited his motion and speech.  He has a shunt in his head, a metal plate in his pelvis and steel rods in his right leg. He is working hard at the BOCES Carmen Road school on his speaking skills and is taking physical therapy to improve motor control of his left hand and left leg. Several months after the accident, JT’s father passed away from a heart attack.

Involved in athletics, JT played on the football team and wrestling team at the W. T. Clark High School.  High school has raised funds with a demonstration benefit basketball game and the wrestling team is ready to volunteer and help out.

He and his mother, Karen live in a 1950’s Levitt house on Long Island.  JT is now sleeping and living in the only room where the doorway is just wide enough for his wheelchair.  His mother must give him sponge baths since there is only a powder room with a washer/dryer on the first floor.  Since the house is built on a slab, options for new plumbing are costly.  Volunteer architect Jerry Cicciari, AIA is designing a larger accessible bathroom and creating a private bedroom for JT.

New Bathroom for Danny

Danny Conway

Danny C. is a 21 year old, who has brain damage as the result of an accident.  He has some use of his arms and hands and is working hard at physical therapy to gain more control. When he gets the accessible bathroom, he will be able to roll into the shower and have some privacy.

His mother Elaine, contacted HomeFreeHome , when she had to have plans of her house drafted to meet government code regulations.

Architect Jerry Cicciari,AIA met with building department officials from the Town of Hempstead.  Researched the house records and coordinated the plans.

In June our HFH volunteers from CJ Construction started the demolition.

Volunteer from CJ Construction - Thank You!

Jackson Family Project

Jim and Lisa with daughter Glorianna

A ramp for the Jackson family was our first pilot project. Jim and Lisa Jackson’s daughter Glorianna was born with spina bifida and has no feeling in her lower legs. She’s now 5  years old and is an energetic, smart little girl who urgently needed a new accessible entry to get out and explore the world.

In July of 2008 HFH volunteers started construction on the ramp for the Jackson family. Thank you to Chris Suhovsky and the crew from CJ Construction of Kings Park for the concrete foundation work.

Our intrepid team of volunteers worked on the framing every weekend through the heat of August!

Following the direction of master carpenters, Deke Hasson and Rich Faustman, volunteers Chris and Paul Shaklis, Richard and Amelia Box and others joined homeowner Jim Jackson in framing construction. Special thank you to Affordable Portable Ramps for the traction plywood. Also, thanks to Home Depot for discount on materials. The finished ramp looks great and adds value to their homes. Glorianna is enjoying using it and has become an expert at racing her wheelchair up and down !

To tell you the truth, before the HFH team came, we didn’t even know where to start. The HomeFreeHome architects designed, met with building inspection officials, applied for the building permit, and made the whole process easy. – Glorianna’s Grandmother