Remodelers Council helps update bathroom for girl in need

Dawn Boles loves to watch professional wrestling, and she plays wrestling games on her Wii.

She is a student.

She is a cheerleader.

She has pets.

Dawns a typical teenager in many ways. In other ways, shes not at all typical.

The 15-year-old has osteogenesis imperfecta, a disorder that weakens her bone structure and forces her to use a wheelchair or a walker. She has broken bones at least 50 times. One femur has been broken six times. A second condition, von Willebrand disease, is a rare bleeding disorder estimated to occur in only 1 to 2 percent of the population. It interferes with blood clotting, causing Boles to bleed excessively and requiring transfusions if shes cut.

Boles lives with her grandmother, Barbara Antill, in a cozy home on Jacksonvilles Northside. She has been under her grandmothers care since she was 8 months old. Her grandfather, now deceased, had made some changes to the home, including the addition of a second bathroom, in an attempt to accommodate Boles.

The small bathroom was not wheelchair accessible, however, so Boles needed assistance to use it. And given her medical conditions, showering was an even greater challenge.

Antill and Boles have a close bond, more like mother and daughter. They share an optimistic and positive attitude. And the family was grateful when their story appeared in the Times-Union and touched the hearts of many. A project was proposed to add space to the home, enlarging Boles bedroom to include a wheelchair-accessible bathroom.

That project was still in the planning stages when the Remodelers Council of the Northeast Florida Builders Association heard Boles story.

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Remodelers Council helps update bathroom for girl in need