Open the Door, and More, for Michelle!

Hi, my name is Michelle, I’m 39, a wife, a mother of 2 awesome kids (ages 6 and 8), and I am a quadriplegic. Apart from the limited use of my hands, feet, and neck, I am completely paralyzed and must use a breathing machine 24 hours a day. I have a severe case of muscular dystrophy that started when I was 5 years old and I’ve been wheelchair-bound since the age of 11. Unfortunately, there are no treatments to stop the progression of my disease. That being said, I have a good life with my husband, Tobin, and our two children. We are fortunate to live in a great neighborhood. I'm reaching out for assistance to make changes in our home to make it truly handicapped accessible, and thus improve not only my quality of life, but to make it easier for all those I depend on, and who depend on me.

After several years of renting, we were finally able to purchase a house, so we can now start making accessibility improvements, which is very exciting. There are a number of home modifications that would make a huge difference in my daily living: an automatic door opener, a generator, a wider bedroom door, a roll-in shower, and a comfortable shower chair (more about that below).

I rely on my motorized wheelchair to move around inside our home. However, if I want to go outside someone needs to be there to open the front door for me. There is no way I can do this without help. This means that if I am alone and there is an emergency, such as a fire, I cannot get out – a thought that is truly terrifying.

During the school year. I am the parent who meets our children at the school bus stop. My part time caregiver leaves before the school bus arrives and since I can't open the door to meet my children at the bus stop, I have to wait in the garage to avoid the hot sun that can reach over 100° and overheat my wheelchairs motor causing it to shut off. If I cannot meet the kids at the bus stop they won't let them off the bus and will take them back to school and I'll have no way to pick them up.

An automatic door opener, would give me the freedom to go in and out even when the kids are off at school and Tobin is at work. I would be able to open the door through my phone ...myself! I could go out for a nice walk on cooler days.

The door opener is the most important thing on my wish list, but there’s more, so please keep reading. During the last hurricane here in central Florida, we lost power for several days. Without power, we could not use the machine that helps keep my lungs clear. Without this therapy I got pneumonia, which is extremely life-threatening for me, and spent 10 days in the hospital. What we need is a generator so that Tobin can give me treatments, as well as charge my wheelchair and breathing machine.

Another project that would increase the functionality of our home is to widen the door to our bedroom. Currently the doorway is so narrow that I can hardly drive through it. This project would consist of getting a wider door for Tobin to install and moving the light switch over to accommodate it.

We also do not have a true roll-in shower. Remodeling the bathroom to correct this would make bathing much easier – easier on me and easier on my caregivers. This requires a plumber to do a big portion of the job. But we would also need some materials for Tobin to construct the shower itself.

The last item on my wish list, but a pricey one, is a comfortable, functional shower chair instead of the awkward, uncomfortable one I am using now. That would be a godsend! This is not covered by insurance since they say that bed baths are good enough, and showers are not considered a medical necessity!

My focus has always been our children and with some changes in our home, and your help, I can ensure that I can continue to care for our children to the very best of my ability.

I appreciate anything you are willing to give.

Gracias, y que Dios te bendiga

Thank you and God bless you

Michelle

COSTS:

1.) Front Door Opener = $730

2.) Generator to run my machines = $1000 (approx.)

3.) Widening the doorway to the bedroom = $200 for the door and hardware. An electrician to move an existing light switch is $180.

4.) Remodeling the bathroom so I can easily shower = $5,000 (approx.)

5.) A tilting, rolling shower chair = $1800

Total goal approximately $8,910