JUNE 2018 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 41
HOME FOR FATHER’S DAY
or voice enabled device,” George
adds.
The project that started in mid-
February was completed on March
30. And the Halperns are still
pinching themselves.
“I have no words for what George
did,” says the father of one. “We
would have never been able to do
what George did even saving for 20
years. They remodeled our home to
fit our specific individual needs and
changed our world.”
Heather, a special education speech
and language teacher, explains that
the rescue has enabled her and
Adam to be more independent.
It has transformed their family
dynamic and how they interact in
their home.
“Adam can do laundry now,” she
says. “He’s cooking more. I don’t
have to worry when he showers.
“He’s actually showering Ryder right
now,” she continues. “And I have no
safety concerns. We are both freer.”
“We sit at the table and have dinner,”
adds Heather, 37. “We talk about
what we’re thankful for before we
eat. Our connection as a family has
grown.”
One of Adam’s favorite areas is
by the glass sliding doors in the
kitchen, where he can watch his son
playing outside.
“I love sitting having a cup of coffee,
and I can see Ryder running and
playing in the yard,” he says.
The kitchen isn’t too shabby either.
Adam points out that before, it
was tight quarters, but now it is
spacious and just the right size for
entertaining.
“There was zero eat-in space
before and no room for a kitchen
table,” says Adam. “Now you can
seat 10 people comfortably. We
love to have people over and since
we moved back in, we have had
people over every weekend.”
And, the most functional, he says, is
the new size of the bathroom.
“They broke into my son’s room and
took a foot away to make it bigger,”
he says. “Now we can all fit in the
bathroom, let alone me, where I can
have my privacy.”
As Father’s Day approaches, Adam,
Heather and little Ryder are filled
with gratitude.
Ryder asks at least once a day, says his
dad, “Is George coming back?” while
INSIDE JOB
mom chimes in with a laugh, “He’s
always inviting people to come in
and see our new beautiful kitchen.”
This will be their first Father’s Day
in their new home.
BEFORE:
The bathroom
was small by
any standards.
AFTER: THE
BATHROOM
They opened it up and made it
ADA-compliant so that Adam can
now enjoy privacy and independence.
They widened the bathroom’s door and
the shower is barrier-free. They also
installed smart technology so the
controls in the bathroom are
voice activated.