HBF Creates a Home within a Home for Brighton Woman Living with MS
Leah M. was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) when she was just 19 years old. MS is a central nervous system disease that can cause a wide range of symptoms including fatigue, weakness, muscle spasms and gait, vision and cognition issues. For years, Leah managed her symptoms while working and living independently. Due to recent health complications resulting from the progression of the disease, she now needs more care.
Leah has always been close with her mom, Teresa, who invited Leah to move into the house she and her husband share so that they could help with caregiving. The family originally submitted an application to have an accessible bathroom added to the home’s basement. Lennar signed up as the Project Captain and, after meeting Leah and her family, decided to transform the basement into a fully accessible apartment. They created a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and sitting room and modified the doorway to allow Leah to easily access the backyard in her wheelchair. In addition, HBF installed a stairlift so that Leah could join the family upstairs.
The result is a stunning space where Leah can maintain her independence and still receive help from her family when she needs it. She is excited to bake in her new kitchen and loves the fact that the space is fully accessible so she can easily move from room to room without scraping walls or repositioning her chair. Leah’s dog, Ginger, is also enjoying the new space and especially likes being able to go outside with mom.
Teresa is equally excited about the modifications saying, “It will be wonderful to have her here and be able to just go downstairs to help out when she needs it. She’ll be at home to care for herself, be safe, and have her own space.”
Mike Murphy, Director of Quality Assurance for Lennar, called the project fun and heartwarming. He and his team collaborated with more than a dozen trades to ensure the finished space became a place that Leah could feel at home.
On February 7th, Leah and her family hosted a celebration, inviting friends, family and the team that worked on the modifications to tour the new space. The local newspaper, the Brighton Blade, attended and published an article. Click here to read the full story.