QUALITY OF LIFE

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Bill Buettner of Pioneer Plumbing and Shannon Melvin of Wood Wright Construction in Neillsville, WI contacted the Foundation regarding a special project they were putting together in their town. A family there was in need of home renovations and had contacted Bill for help. Upon receiving Bill’s call for assistance, Hands set in motion a plan to involve the Neillsville area businesses. They were asked to donate their time to help with this renovation.

The family included a young man named Jason Gasiorowski. Jason was born with an extremely rare genetic degenerative bone disease. Living with that through the years had taken a terrible toll on Jason, leaving him unable to perform even the simplest of daily routines. The disease in question attacked the joints of the bones, breaking them down until the bones are completely compromised and the body is left with only loose bones inside the muscles.

Jason lives with his mother and father who help him with his many and various daily needs. Unfortunately, Jason’s mother has been discovered to suffer from the same symptoms. Her doctors have informed her that she has the same disease and that it is progressing rapidly.

The idea for this project was simply to optimize the quality of life for Jason and his mother. The project involved a large scale renovation including the bathroom, kitchen, and replacement of many doors and windows to make it more accessible for Jason in his wheelchair. Although the labor was all donated by Hands as well as the various Neillsville businesses, the cost was extensive for a massive project such as this. The family did have money set aside for this specific project which in turn had to be greatly supplemented by donations from the public.

The Hands Foundation has always relied on donations from the public. Hands has dedicated itself to helping those in need since 2004 and prides itself in using 100% of the donations toward the project at hand; nothing donated goes toward administrative costs. In this way, more people like Jason can receive the maximum benefit per dollar.