Independence for Alex

The Chiasson family has 5 members: mom, dad, 2 daughters and a son named Alexander. Alexander has Cerebral Palsy, a condition that has impacts his functional use of all extremities, trunk control and vision. He relies on a power wheelchair to get around. The family works hard to find resources to support their son with special needs. Their goal is to provide Alex with independence and access to a positive life.

At 15, Alexander was getting too big for his parents to carry around, and his wheelchair did not fit properly through the bedroom door or bathroom door. The Chiasson family needed to do some renovations so that Alex could get around inside the house.

The Chiasson family learned about the Dayforce Cares program through their support system at the IWK Children’s Hospital and applied for assistance with home renovations in early 2014.

"This was one of the easiest applicants we have received to date," said Committee Chair, Linda MacInnis-Sedge. "The whole committee was on board to support this family in their home renovations. The application was well-written and easily showed us how we can make a difference in this family's day to day lives. We all wanted to help this teenaged boy to gain some independence and save some wear and tear on the parents, who clearly work very hard for their family."

The renovations were completed in April 2014. "Alexander is SO happy about his new bathroom!” says his mom. “For the first time, he can drive into the bathroom with his wheelchair. And he loves the sink. Sometimes, he goes into the bathroom just to play in the water! Alex also loves being able to drive into his bedroom without grinding the side of the doorframe with his wheelchair."

"Thank you so much Dayforce Cares for all your help, making this bathroom possible! We will be forever grateful for your help!"

It was our pleasure to work with this lovely family and wish them all the best in the future!