Neighbors Change the Lives of a Family in Need

Every-day heroes surround us. 

They call 911 when they see a stranger in trouble, they hold open a door when our hands are full and they build a ramp for a little girl with cerebral palsy who can't get into her own home in her new motorized wheelchair.

Kyla Hartigan is an intelligent, happy, kind and beautiful 5-year-old. Kyla loves playing with her sisters, watching TV and attending kindergarten. Unlike children her age, Kyla can’t walk and has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

Last spring, the charitable organization Karing for Kyla reached their goal of raising enough money to pay the balance on a motorized wheelchair not covered by insurance. The funds also purchased the materials required to build a ramp into the Hartigan’s home. A nonprofit agency offered to provide the labor and skill to build the ramp but fell through on their promise, not even returning phone calls, said Kyla’s mom, Margie Hartigan.

“After visiting my home eight times to discuss what we wanted, gather measurements, and present drawings, etc., the agency fell off the face of the Earth and we didn’t have $7,000 to spend building the ramp,” said Hartigan.

That's where Kyla's Churchill Club neighbors come in.

While working with the nonprofit, Hartigan had consulted with a neighbor in construction management, Mike Hugelier. She ran ideas past him and showed him the drawings provided by the nonprofit. When everything fell apart, Hartigan said Hugelier came over and insisted, ‘Kyla needs a ramp. Let’s do something to make this happen.’

Hugelier rallied neighbors, telling them to show up to work if they were available. On the first Saturday morning, eight guys showed up at 8 a.m. and just started working, said Hartigan.

Hartigan said most of the work was accomplished by seven families. There were also “people who just stopped at our house and offered to help us with the ramp. These were all complete strangers to us, but live in our subdivision and were just willing to help a fellow neighbor,” said Hartigan.

The volunteers worked for 10 solid weekends, said Hartigan.

“They put their lives on hold. Sometimes they used spotlights until 10 p.m. to get more work done. Many kids came with their dads and also wanted to help. It was so touching,” she said.

“Mike Hugelier is my hero,” said Hartigan. “He was there every single minute of every single weekend.”

Hartigan explained that Hugelier designed the ramp to match the home exactly and to meet all the requirements set by the homeowner’s association. He also made it as safe as possible while providing function.

“The details are unbelievable,” said Hartigan. “I can’t believe they did this for us.”

Hartigan’s stepfather and construction crew volunteer, Don Linnane, said the work was hard, especially when the temperature hit the 90s, but the crew was energetic and motivated to help Kyla.

Neighbor and friend, Chuck Atkinson, saw that work had begun on the ramp and walked over to see if his carpentry skills were needed.

“It’s part of who I am,” said Atkinson. “It’s what I consider integrity to be. If I see someone who needs help, then I’m going to offer my help … It’s also important to show my kids that you need to think about others before yourself. ... It was disturbing to know she had this expensive motorized wheelchair and she couldn’t use it."

Hartigan didn’t allow her daughter to use the ramp until it was completely finished.

“I wanted everyone to witness her driving down the ramp for the first time,” explained Hartigan.

At the Ramp Grand Opening Party Oct. 9, “everyone stood in the driveway waiting to see her come down. There were many tears and everyone was cheering for her. The kids were chanting her name,” Hartigan said.

“Words can’t express the gratitude we feel for these amazing people,” Hartigan explained through tears. “They completely changed our lives. They are an inspiration and I owe them so much.”

Kyla started mainstream kindergarten this fall and Hartigan said she has made “enormous strides at school and is doing things I never thought possible. She is keeping up with her class, participating in gym class and learning to spell. Her classmates have accepted her and even adapted games to include her."

Now that Kyla’s basic needs are met, Hartigan hopes to continue fundraising to help other kids in need.

“If I have the chance to help one more kid, I really want to be a part of that,” she said.