There are so many things I do every day that I had simply taken for granted. When I wake up in the morning I swing my legs and feet to the floor and stand up. When I leave the house and forget something, I quickly run back inside, retrieve the forgotten item, and go on my way. If I need something from a cupboard or shelf, I simply reach for the object, grasp it, and bring it toward myself. The list of what I took for granted can go on and on.
Ever since Ella's diagnosis of SMA I have had the rare opportunity to help someone who cannot take the "everyday things" for granted. In fact, many of those things elude her. We find a way though. Through perseverance, creativity, and the selfless acts of others, we bring the world to her. In that bringing comes the experience of providing for another the things most of us take for granted. In that bringing comes the sharing of skills and talents. In that bringing we have found that there are people out there willing to lend a hand as they can. In that bringing we take less for granted.
Being in a wheelchair with a degenerative neuromuscular disease carries with it many challenges. Navigating the world can be complex as the world is primarily set up for walking folk. Bumps, cracks, uneven ground, tight spaces, corners, doorways, steps, mud, rain, snow and ice to name a few obstacles.
Many have stepped forward over the past few months to help Ella navigate her world with more ease and safety. Her independence has grown as a result. Through the initial efforts of one organization, spiraling to local businesses and companies, a transformation has occurred.
A transformation of the physical space around our house. A transformation that we, as Ella's parents, could not have accomplished in any easy way on our own. A transformation that allows her freedom of mobility, safe access to the outside, and a terrain that is navigable.
A special thank you to:
The Samaritan Network
The Hammerheads
Baumgartner Construction and affiliates
Beary Landscaping
Ever since Ella's diagnosis of SMA I have had the rare opportunity to help someone who cannot take the "everyday things" for granted. In fact, many of those things elude her. We find a way though. Through perseverance, creativity, and the selfless acts of others, we bring the world to her. In that bringing comes the experience of providing for another the things most of us take for granted. In that bringing comes the sharing of skills and talents. In that bringing we have found that there are people out there willing to lend a hand as they can. In that bringing we take less for granted.
Being in a wheelchair with a degenerative neuromuscular disease carries with it many challenges. Navigating the world can be complex as the world is primarily set up for walking folk. Bumps, cracks, uneven ground, tight spaces, corners, doorways, steps, mud, rain, snow and ice to name a few obstacles.
Many have stepped forward over the past few months to help Ella navigate her world with more ease and safety. Her independence has grown as a result. Through the initial efforts of one organization, spiraling to local businesses and companies, a transformation has occurred.
A transformation of the physical space around our house. A transformation that we, as Ella's parents, could not have accomplished in any easy way on our own. A transformation that allows her freedom of mobility, safe access to the outside, and a terrain that is navigable.
A special thank you to:
The Samaritan Network
The Hammerheads
Baumgartner Construction and affiliates
Beary Landscaping
Please enjoy the video showcasing their incredible work...completed with love, care, and pride...
