Help Karyn and Joe make their house accessible

Please help us raise money to help the Bugelli / Dunning family retrofit their home to make it comfortable and wheelchair accessible for Karyn.

Karyn is the mother of Tristan and Kiera (14 and 11) and wife of Joe Dunning. She is also a beloved guidance counsellor and teacher at Malvern Collegiate in the Beaches neighbourhood, where she has worked for 15 years. She is a loyal friend, sister, and daughter who possesses an incredible zest for life and a strong spirit.

After enduring months of back pain, Karyn and Joe were told that she was suffering from Osteosarcoma - a rare form of cancer for adults, that originated in her T12 vertebrae. Unfortunately, a battery of chemotherapy was unable to kill the tumour, and surgeons were forced to operate. As a result of this operation, Karyn's spinal cord had to be severed and she will require a wheelchair to be mobile.

The best news is, Karyn is now officially cancer free!!

As part of her recovery, Karyn will spend the summer in a hospital rehabilitation program learning how to function independently so that she can return home. Karyn is a resilient, tenacious, adaptable, and strong person. Regardless of the challenges that life has presented, she is determined to overcome, and do so with dignity and positivity - always striving for the best for her children and husband.

But. Karyn and her family need our help.

The challenges to create an accessible home for Karyn are staggering and they must be finished before Karyn completes her rehabilitation.

The renovations include but are not limited to:

-Addition of motorized lift to allow her access to the house

-Front porch raised for the lift to be level with doorway

-Underpinning of basement (bedrooms for the children need to be moved to the basement)

-Refinishing of basement

-Renovation and retrofit of upper level: (bathroom, engineering to remove load bearing wall, finishing.)

-Kitchen modifications to lower surface areas

-Vehicle conversion

-Elevator/lift to allow access the basement where the children sleep

-Many other miscellaneous medical items and costs

The money we hope to raise will cover only a fraction of their expenses; therefore, any amount, no matter how small, that you, your friends, family, and coworkers can donate is greatly appreciated.

Karyn and Joe have been completely overwhelmed with all of the love and support that they have received through their journey, and we cannot wait to see Karyn's smiling face, hear her sharp wit, and feel her positive energy back in our community, and back in the hallways of Malvern Collegiate.

We love you Karyn!