Two little girls with medical needs, two nurses, two oxygen tanks and respirators, two TVs, clothing, specialized food and feeding devices, 800 DVDs, oh and yes, a place for Mom to sit – in one room. This was my most recent challenge from the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
This beautiful family has adopted two very disabled little girls ages eight and thirteen. They are lovingly cared for in one large room of the families’ home. You can imagine the many issues involved in the room re-design, primarily space planning and storage for all of the above. To promote the safety of the eight year old who is very mobile but feels no pain, the family requested a Hannah bed which the company made possible by offering a significant discount. This bed provides comfort and safety for little Faith who is constantly on-the-go. As you can see it takes up a good 1/8th of the room.
The next piece of the puzzle was figuring out how to create a space for the TV as the family owns over 800 videos which keep the girls entertained and smiling. Omnimount to the rescue. This company generously donated a Play 25X TV Mount and a Tria shelf for the DVD Player. This arms reaches out over the oxygen tank and tilts downwards for Faith’s optimum viewing on her new beanbag chair or from within her Hannah bed.
Every corner of this room was tapped for storage. One closet was converted to a food preparation area with floor to ceiling cabinetry. Another closet was reconfigured to do double duty storing clothing and medical supplies. A large secretary desk functions as work space for the nurses to complete and store their paperwork. We took advantage of the raised crib and added under the bed rolling storage drawers. With the 36 inches left of wall space we found room for a window seat/toy box for Faith who loves to look out of the window.
Once the space planning was complete and the functional needs addressed then came the fun part. Mom fell in love with the pink multicolored rug featured at the top of the page. The room came together based upon this fun “girly” color scheme of pink, green and yellow. My favorite feature is a custom made mobile created and donated by Karen and her daughter of Almost Sunday. The family loves butterflies and the room called out for pink and green. Jenni has limited sight but registers objects colored in black and red. Voila, this artist conjured up the perfect finishing touch!
With the extra storage and cheerful new color scheme both girls, their family, and many caregivers are now set to enjoy their highly functional new space thanks to The Make-A-Wish Foundation!