July 27, 2007

A wish granted

Local seven- year-old asks for, and receives, wheelchair
accessible bathroom from Make-A-Wish Foundation

By Christina Brown
Times Intern

AnMei Liu is one grown up 7-year-old.

Liu requested her family’s bathroom be redone with the help of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, so that she could access the sink and get into the shower without her mom’s assistance.

AnMei, 7, and her dog, Kyln, in the new wheelchair accessible bathroom Standard Pacific Homes built for her through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Photo by Christina Brown

Liu has spinal muscular atrophy, which is a genetic disease that severely weakens her muscles and causes her to use a wheel chair.

Before the remodel, Liu’s mom, Pingrong Xue, would fill a bowl with water so Liu could wash her hands and then would have to carry her into the shower.

“One time I slipped, and we both fell [while carrying AnMei],” Xue said.

The fall scared both of them quite a bit and was part of the reason Liu chose the remodel as her wish.

“Now, I don’t have to worry about that,” Xue said. “It took a lot off my back.”

Despite her situation, Liu is very independent, as she enjoys reading, swimming, and even bowling, so it is fitting that her wish would also be something that will increase her freedom.

“It makes such a big difference,” Xue said. “It’s so much easier now.”

Standard Pacific Homes, along with 10 other sub-contractors, helped to completely redo the bathroom for the family.

“They ripped out everything,” Xue said. “Nothing was left.”

“Except the walls,” added Liu.

For three weeks starting in early June, three to four workers would come by each day to work on the bathroom to make it wheelchair accessible.

It was quite a project. Two walls had to be torn down to increase the size of the bathroom. The total value of the donated goods and services was over $28,000.

“[What the workers did was] beyond our imagination,” Xue said.

The family said it was very thankful to Standard Pacific Homes and all the sub-contractors for working tirelessly, often in the heat, to make AnMei’s wish come true.

“We got to know them all, and they were very kind,” Xue said. “When they had free time they would just go around and do little repairs.”

The workers even repainted the corners of the hallway, which had chipped paint spots from Liu’s wheelchair brushing past it.

“We are so grateful to Standard Pacific Homes for spearheading this wish and to all the vendors who have contributed to making life a little easier for AnMei,” said Patricia Wilson, Executive Director of the Greater Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation. “So many of our wishes are enhanced beyond our expectations thanks to the response of many in the community.”

The Greater Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation has granted over 4,000 wishes since it opened 23 years ago and serves 17 counties in Northern California from Monterey all the way up to Del Norte.

Spinal muscular atrophy causes weakness due to the loss of the motor neurons of the spinal cord and brainstem, and so Liu needs to go through physical therapy with her mom and use a standing frame when not in her wheel chair.

“She also has to wear a brace at night,” said Xue, as Liu screws up her face in a look of pain at the mention of the braces. “She’s been really good with everything, though. She’s just a good kid. She enjoys life.”

Liu is also an excellent student. In the fall, Liu will enter third grade at Evergreen Elementary, which has been very accommodating to her, the family noted. And with summer in full swing, Liu goes swimming almost every day.

The wheel chair accessible sink is the only place that Liu has access to water, and since it was installed, she has taken to playing with her sea shells in the sink. She even asked to have a tea party in the bathroom, noting her gratitude for everyone who helped increase her independence.