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Nottawasaga Foundation renovates bathroom for Alliston boy with special needs

October 22, 2015   ·   0 Comments

Having a child with special needs is difficult, not being able to bathe him properly because of the size of your bathroom would be a nightmare.
Andrea and Jason Deegan are the proud parents of Arran Deegan, age 4 1/2. The JK student at Holy Family Catholic School, has Type II Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a degenerative disease that affects muscles and mobility for which there is no known cure.
As Arran gets bigger, and his power wheelchair heavier, Andrea and Jason have been struggling to accommodate him at home. They needed a new bathroom with a drive-in shower and a bedroom that could house Arran’s necessities and give him space to play.
Lou Biffis and Rocco Lombardi, two of the Nottawasaga Foundation board members, were moved by the Deegan family story and decided to act. Knowing they had the capabilities to make the home renovations a reality, they reached out to Briar Hill Homes, and other suppliers, to donate time and materials to the project. The Foundation also donated $5,000 to Arran in May 2014.
“The renovation has completely transformed our home,” said Andrea Deegan. “It’s allowed Arran much more freedom and access to move about, adding to his independence. Plus, it’s greatly helped us with caring for him, as we barely had enough room to bathe him previously. Our old mould infested, leaky addition is now the heart of our home.”
Although the Foundation is not commenting on the overall cost of the project, it is clear from the scale of the job that Arran now showers like a king.
“Our lives have definitely been changed for the better since we were given this amazing gift,” Andrea told The Times. “We are truly thankful and blessed. No words can express how much this has impacted our lives and hopefully one day we can pay it forward.”
The Deegan’s next main focus is to purchase a van adapted for wheelchair access.
“Arran is almost five and quickly outgrowing his car seat,” said Andrea. “We desperately need our van adapted to allow for safe transportation of Arran and his chair.”
“I really would like to publicly thank the Nottawasaga Foundation, our Mayor, Mr. Rick Milne, and all those who supported our renovation,” said Andrea. “You have forever changed our home and our lives. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.”
The Times hosted a charity fundraiser for Jesse Scime in the spring of 2015 to raise funds for the purchase of a wheelchair equipped van. More than $20,000 was raised at the, “Have Wheels, Will Travel” event in just one day. Discussions of another fundraiser are in the works to help the Deegan family. More details to follow.

By Wendy Gabrek

Photos by Wendy Gabrek
Sparkle and shine – Arran Deegan, age 4 1/2 of Alliston, has a brand new ‘drive-in’ shower, courtesy of the Nottawasaga Foundation who paid for the renovation to his home – including the addition of a new family room, bedroom and mould remediation with siding replacement.

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