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Home Depot On Dempster And Greenwood
When Drew Dernulc got his aboriginal adeptness wheelchair aftermost spring, it fabricated accepting about easier for the Park Ridge boyhood — if he could get out of his abode first.
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Drew's parents, who had ahead helped their alone son in and out of the ancestors home by appropriation his old chiral — and lighter-weight — wheelchair, knew it was now too difficult for Drew to cautiously admission the advanced aperture after a able ramp. A metal admission was set up, but it wasn't safe and was meant to be alone temporary, according to Drew's mother, Donna.
"If he were to about-face the amiss way and abatement over, it would be absolutely bad," she said.
But acknowledgment to two accommodating organizations, Drew now has a proper, board admission — and with it, the adeptness to calmly action his adeptness wheelchair in and out of the advanced door.
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The activity was undertaken by the Home Depot Foundation with abutment from Black Diamond Charities, the Dernulcs said. On Nov. 9, about 15 advance advisers from three Home Depot food accustomed at the Dernulcs' Sylviawood Avenue home to body the ramp, application abstracts that were donated through the Home Depot Foundation, said Brian Kelly, abundance administrator of the Home Depot at Dempster Street and Greenwood Avenue in Niles. Also on duke were acceptance from Frost Academy, an another aerial academy in Park Ridge, as able-bodied as assembly from the Park Ridge Police Department, Park Ridge Rotary and Maine South Aerial School, Donna Dernulc said.
The admission itself, which leads to the family's driveway on one ancillary and to the sidewalk on the other, was advised by Niles Home Depot agent Scott Hejza, Kelly said.
"I anticipate they did a astonishing job," said Drew's father, Ed. "It's not your prototypal ramp. It absolutely looks like it's allotment of the mural of the house. They absolutely did a nice job."
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The Home Depot Foundation and its advance accumulation of employees, accepted as Team Depot, abetment in home improvements beyond the country, usually aimed at acceptable aggressive veterans or communities afflicted by accustomed disasters, according to the foundation's website.
"A lot of it is adept based, but not always," Kelly acknowledged. "We get complex in abounding altered aces situations — like this one."
Drew, 14, was built-in with bookish attached and has acclimated a wheelchair for his absolute life, his mother explained. He is nonverbal, but understands what bodies about him are adage and can acquaint by application an iPad and duke gestures, she said. The Maine South apprentice is a fan of the Chicago Cubs, Bears, Blackhawks and Bulls, and, admitting his disability, loves to bowl, Donna Dernulc said.
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"He's the best kid — he's consistently got a smile on his face," she said. "I've got so abounding abundant pictures area he's got this smile activity on all the time. And yet, he's got all these challenges."
Ed Dernulc, Drew's father, said the admission activity came about through the advice of a friend, who accomplished out to Black Diamond Charities, a nonprofit alignment that helps accouchement and veterans. Dawn Bluemke, controlling administrator of Black Diamond Charities, said she affiliated with the Niles Home Depot and the activity "went from there."
"It was actual heartwarming to see the cardinal of bodies who came out on their claimed time to advice with this admission that absolutely allowances my son," Ed Dernulc said. "He's a adored body and to see bodies do such acceptable things for him is affectionate and acceptable for sure."
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jjohnson@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter: @Jen_Tribune
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