Do-Good Renovations

Welcome Home Angel brightens sick children's spaces

In February 19, 2013, LEE ANNE HEITMAN wrote a letter that would change her life. 

Heitman, a single mother of two, knows firsthand that one moment can change a person’s life forever.

There was the one when Heitman found out her son, Christian, had a brain tumor. He was airlifted to a Duke University medical facility, had ten additional surgical procedures, and eventually needed his mother’s attention and assistance for day-to-day functions.

As a result of devoted time to her son’s care, Heitman could not work, and at one point she and her children moved in with her parents.

But the family soon was dealt more blows. Heitman’s daughter, Erika, was diagnosed with scoliosis as well as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a connective tissue disorder. It was imperative for Erika to have a wheelchair, walker, and other helpful tools such as a ramp to get around.

Heitman knew her only choice was to seek help.

On February 19, she wrote a passionate yet sincere application letter to Welcome Home Angel  and was accepted for home renovation.

Welcome Home Angel is an area nonprofit that assists sick children by making over their bedrooms to create “a healthy and cheerful environment in which to live and recover,” according to the group.

For the Heitmans, volunteers made renovations to accommodate Erika’s wheelchair while also brightening up her and Christian’s bedrooms.

Welcome Home Angel has helped twenty-nine children in the Wilmington area, working with local designers and contractors to renovate the homes of those who need special equipment and tools. The group works to improve the quality of life for those living with disabilities and illnesses and solve mobility concerns and problems they may have at home.

In 2007, founder JOHN KAISER told friends that he wanted to start an organization to help families with children facing serious illnesses or recovering from accidents.

There are many components that aid in the success of Welcome Home Angel. It receives all referrals through the medical community and social workers. Each case the group works on is different and unique to the child’s specific needs.

Families must submit an application and letter explaining their needs, illness, or condition they are dealing with and the ways in which their child would benefit from the group’s services. 

By using local designers and contractors, Welcome Home Angel makes sure each project is handled by professionals and that the makeover is not only fun but also functional. 

Welcome Home Angel has provided makeovers for children with spina bifida, cancer, seizure disorders, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and other conditions.  The group also is made up of volunteers who gain joy at the sight of children and families being surprised and comforted by their new room and home renovations.

One of those volunteers is Stacy Bernhardt, Kaiser’s daughter. Bernhardt is the designer who oversaw the Heitman project.

“In the Heitman home, the doorways were too small for Erika’s wheelchair, and the bathroom and kitchen were not accessible,” Bernhardt says. 

Volunteers went in to help with the bathroom, stairs, and Christian and Erika’s bedrooms, with the help of local contractor Bryant Bass, president of Bass Built Custom Homes and Renovations. 

“He took a look at their house, and the rest of the story is pretty amazing,” Bernhardt says. “He worked with many other local vendors and subcontractors and ended up doing a real home extreme makeover.”

Welcome Home Angel installed a lift for Erika so she did not have to suffer through getting up and down stairs. They decorated Christian’s room with wall decals and a chalkboard wall. Erika’s room was decorated in her favorite colors – pink and orange – and zebra print.

Welcome Home Angel makeovers are typically done on bedrooms and bathrooms, but Bass went the extra mile for the Heitman family and did a home renovation at no additional cost.

“When we walked in, I was truly speechless, in shock really,” Heitman says about the big reveal. “All I could do was cry happy tears.”

Bernhardt calls working with the Heitman family an amazing experience, but she adds that she is touched by all the families Welcome Home Angel gets to help. 

“Each family has inspired me, challenged me to be a better person, and taught me what is truly important in life, which is family and friends,” Bernhardt says. “We may go in and do makeovers in their rooms and bathrooms, and in turn they give all of the volunteers hope.”

To view more of photographer Will Page’s work, go to www.willpagephoto.com.