Alicia is her mum’s ‘Little Princess’, and she now has a home and suite of rooms fit for any Princess. It has been a real journey for all concerned to get here and, at the end of it, it signifies the start to a new life for this little girl and her family.
When Alicia was born, she suffered life changing injuries and was subsequently diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. Up until 5 years ago, Alicia, who is one of three children, and her family were living in a 3 bedroomed local authority property. A through floor lift had been fitted but space upstairs was so limited there wasn’t actually room for the lift to access the bedroom. The family was in dire need of more space.
PLG became involved at this point and found the family a large property to rent which provided for Alicia’s needs. Although still quite close to their old home, the children really missed their friends and it became clear that when Alicia’s forever home was bought, location was going to be key.
So when a large detached family house became available on a small estate in the right location, we looked at it very seriously. It was by no means the obvious property to consider, in fact it was not one we would normally even consider, but it was in the right location and had one essential, it was a corner plot and had ground to the side and rear which could just about make this house work.
Alicia’s mum Vikki had a few non-negotiable criteria’s for the house, the location and achieving a normality for the whole family which meant everyone sleeping upstairs. So PLG set out to achieve just that. We worked closely with the planning authority and was granted planning permission to essentially double the size of the house. In the extension, we sited Alicia’s sensory and therapy room and her hydrotherapy pool together, with changing facilities and a through floor lift.
Upstairs she had her bedroom and wet-room right next door to her mum and dad’s room. And what makes the house work so successfully, is that when the two parts were joined together, the transition was seamless. The widened corridors allowed Alicia easy access to all parts of the house. It really does feel like one house, it’s in the right place and from the outside it is just an ordinary family home, but inside it is a dream home for Vikki’s little princess!
Glenn Hotchin, director at PLG states “I feel I have been on the whole journey with this lovely family. It has been great to be there for them through the most challenging of times. To have been able to find a house which ordinarily I would never have thought suitable for adaptation and turn it into the most incredible solution for Alicia’s needs is quite something. I am thrilled to see Vikki and the family so pleased with their hew home.”
At PLG we are proud of the work we do and the results we achieve, but as you will see from the video, the greatest reward of all is seeing the transformation we can help achieve for our clients’ quality of life.
That’s why we love handover days!
Find Alicia’s story here (https://plg.uk/alicias-story/)