INNISFAIL - The town has come together to give a local boy a better life.
Eight-year-old Nolan Peitzsche has cerebral palsy and thanks to community donations from individuals and several local businesses, he now has a brand new accessible bathroom for him to enjoy his growing independence.
"It's heartwarming," said mom Angela Peitzsche. “Last year, in January 2019, (the Robinsons) came to us and asked if they could redo our bathroom for us as a gift. We were shocked and very excited.”
The Peitzsche family met Tyrel and Lisa Robinson, owners of Cornerstone Flooring and Design in Innisfail, several years ago when their children were born. Both spent time at the Ronald MacDonald House in Calgary and today, Nolan and the Robinsons' daughter Georgia attend school together at École John Wilson Elementary School in Innisfail.
The bathroom project took several months to plan and to fundraise. Renovations began in early December of 2019 and were completed just before Christmas.
Peitzsche noted the daily challenges the family faced with Nolan’s care and the immense benefit the new bathroom has for the entire family.
"It was getting pretty hard on us with the lifting," said Peiztsche. "(It’s) just to give him that independence of daily, simple things like brushing his own teeth, being able to shower himself, looking in the mirror himself. Just things that people don't think about."
The accessible bathroom is fitted with several features that help Nolan every day.
"The sink's at a level where he can brush his own teeth; his wheelchair can wheel underneath the sink so he can sit there and brush his teeth and his hair," said Peitzsche. "The shower is completely accessible so he can walk in there with his walker or wheelchair," she added, noting the bathroom was designed to grow with Nolan so he can continue to use it for years to come.
"It makes me feel like we can be the sort of business that we would want to be for the community," said Robinson. "It can bring people from the community together to actually help people."
The total cost for the accessible bathroom was about $15,000, noted Robinson, adding about $1,500 was raised from individual contributions through a fundraising barbecue, about $7,000 was raised through an in-store promotion and the remaining $6,500 was raised through a Facebook fundraiser.
"A ton of Innisfail businesses stepped up," said Robinson, noting they also reached out to local business partners and some of their suppliers from across Central Alberta.
"They were also very willing to step up and give product so that this could get done more quickly and with less expense," she added.
"For Tyrel and I, I think we really believe this is an example of what local business should be and what local businesses should be able to contribute to their local communities," said Robinson, noting it’s a way to give back even in tough economic times. “There are still things that businesses can do to be really positive influences and have a positive impact in their community. That's extremely important to us."
Robinson said they plan to continue paying it forward.
“If people in Central Alberta know of someone who is in need of a renovation for something that is out of their control or they wouldn't be able to do without some support, we want to see where we can go with it and do something similar for somebody else," Robinson concluded.
To nominate a family or for more information contact Lisa Robinson at 403-227-4910 or email [email protected]
