Colby's Casa - Apartment to House

Our Story:  Hi! I'm Amy, proud mama to my sweet, funny, intelligent - and yes - sometimes stubborn 12-year-old son, Colby. When Colby was four months old, he was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type I. SMA is a neuromuscular disorder caused by a recessive gene. Children with SMA Type I have decreased muscle tone, a compromised respiratory system and a grim prognosis - his original life expectancy was 18-24 months. SMA affects every aspect and every minute of my son's life, and he requires 24-hour care. Because of his weak muscle tone, he is unable to walk, crawl, sit up or speak. He does have some limited, weak movement in his fingers, wrists and knees. He is trach and vent dependent, meaning he requires mechanical support for his breathing. He has a very weak swallow and does not eat any foods orally. He is fed via a g-tube. Despite his physical limitations, Colby is a very intelligent young man who is learning to communicate with eye gaze technology and independently drive his power wheelchair.

Easter 2015

I have cared for my son as a single parent for eight years. Needless to say there have been some very challenging moments, but I cherish each and every day I've been blessed to have with Colby. We stay busy, that's for sure! He goes to school 3.5 hours a day, with the assistance of a one-on-one nurse. He receives speech, pet and massage therapies. We take him swimming weekly at a facility for special needs kids, which he absolutely loves. We take Colby to Cincinnati Children's to see various specialists. Our lives aren't easy, but we live each day to the fullest extent possible.

Field trip. The fish weren't biting that day, sadly.

St. Patrick's Day parade.

Cutest Beetlejuice ever!

We have lived in a small (940 square feet) apartment for the last eight years. As Colby has grown, so has our need for space and handicap accessibility. We don't have a roll-in shower and the apartment complex will not allow us to make handicap accessible modifications such as wider hallways, wood floors instead of carpet and a more open floor plan. Colby requires being transferred between the bed and wheelchair multiple times a day, along with needing transfers to his shower chair. Colby is of average height and weight for his age, and it is becoming more difficult and unsafe for his nurses and me to transfer him safely. No way around it, we need to get out of this apartment and into a handicap accessible house, pronto!

Due to the complexity of Colby's diagnosis, the unavailability of home health nursing at times, and Colby having several extended stays (30+ days) at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, I am only able to work part time. We're financially limited, no doubt about it. Providing a handicap modified home for my son seemed to be an unreachable dream. Then the most wonderful event happened. Recently our caring, generous friends offered to "buy" a house for Colby and me. What does this mean exactly? They agreed to buy a house upfront and after we made handicap modifications and moved into it, I would buy the house back from them. So basically they are my bank and I'll be buying the house from them on contract. Not renting, buying. You can imagine how this is a huge blessing for Colby and me. A life changer, really. Operation Find Us a House kicked into high gear!

We were fortunate enough to find a house in mid-December that fits our needs. It's definitely what they call a "fixer upper." But that's exactly what we need. That way walls could be removed for more floor space and make a large master suite for Colby with a roll-in shower and overhead motorized lift system. The house is 400 square feet bigger than the apartment, and we have developed a floor plan that will accomodate Colby's growing needs.

Needs a little TLC, doesn't it?

Just call us future home owners!

The demolition has been completed down to the studs and we are ready to start rebuilding!

Living room, dining room, kitchen

This area will become our bedrooms and bathrooms.

As you can see, we're starting from scratch. Our fabulous, go-getting realtor, Susannah Stevenson,  introduced us to a wonderful contractor, Don Langan of Karzen Langan Contruction. Once he heard our situation, he has worked very hard to keep our renovation costs at a minimum. He contacted many of the subcontractors he uses, and we have been extremely fortunate to have some materials and labor donated for our house including most of "the biggies" - plumbing, electrical, HVAC, flooring, kitchen cabinets, garage door have all been generously donated to Colby and me. However, we still have a looooong way to go! We still need many items for our "handyman's special": gutters, generator, soffit repair, roofing materials (labor was donated), a deck and ramp for entry into the house, insulation, hot water heater, paint, windows and window installation, basement waterproofing, counter tops, tile and labor for Colby's roll-in shower.  And of course any other items that have been overlooked.

Estimated costs for these items is around $50,000. Yikes! Any additional funds donated will be used to buy needed items for the house. Like a rake! Or a weedeater, gas fireplace (Colby will love it!), additional furniture or other items we don't currently have with apartment life.

Owning a home that will provide Colby with safety and handicap accessiblity is truly a dream come true for me. I've been wanting to move from an apartment to a house for years, and I'm thrilled it's finally coming to be. I know we'll have many happy years and memories in our new home. Thank you for taking an interest in our story/lives. Your donation will make all the difference in our corner of the world, and Colby and I both appreciate your generosity.