Man's house needs work, but surgeries drain time, income
Branden Stewart stays on the move. Fifty surgeries for complications from cerebral palsy haven't kept the 20-year-old from managing the Hurricane High School football team, planning for college next year or going to his senior prom.
HURRICANE, W.Va. - Branden Stewart stays on the move. Fifty surgeries for complications from cerebral palsy haven't kept the 20-year-old from managing the Hurricane High School football team, planning for college next year or going to his senior prom.
In May, Stewart had surgery in Morgantown to replace the shunt that drains fluid from his brain, only a few days before the dance. He managed to get an early release from the hospital so he could make it home to slip into his tuxedo.
Branden Stewart sits with his sister-in-law, Brooke Stewart, in his house’s unfinished kitchen. Stewart has cerebral palsy and has had 50 surgeries, but hopes to live more independently soon.
"It was fun, but if I could do it again, I'd do it without having surgery first," Stewart said. "I'm used to surgery now. I'm usually up within the next day or so. Hospitals can't hold me down."
But one move is keeping Stewart at a standstill - the one from his parents' Hurricane home, across the street to a place of his own.
Stewart bought the 1,100-square-foot house in December 2006 with the help of the state Housing Development Fund and the Religious Coalition for Community Renewal. He makes monthly house payments from his disability check.
Stewart wants to turn the basement into a cozy log-cabin den for watching football. He already has a print to hang on the wall of a beach-themed bathroom, though he's far from calling the gray two-bedroom house his home.
Five surgeries over the last two years and visits to doctors in Morgantown have drained the Stewart family's time and ability to pay for renovations. The house needs a ramp and modifications to accommodate Stewart's motorized wheelchair, said his mother, Barbara Stewart.
The family needs donated materials like drywall, flooring and timber, as well as some steady volunteers to help make the house livable.
"We don't believe in the pity-party stuff. We just want him to be as independent as he can," she said. "Overall, he's a happy-go-lucky person, always with a smile on his face, but he gets discouraged because I don't think he sees any hope of getting in there."
After Stewart purchased the house in 2006, he lost all feeling below the waist. Neurological and orthopedic surgery restored most of his sensation, but the money and pain management meant the house had to wait.
HURRICANE, W.Va. - Branden Stewart stays on the move. Fifty surgeries for complications from cerebral palsy haven't kept the 20-year-old from managing the Hurricane High School football team, planning for college next year or going to his senior prom.
In May, Stewart had surgery in Morgantown to replace the shunt that drains fluid from his brain, only a few days before the dance. He managed to get an early release from the hospital so he could make it home to slip into his tuxedo.
"It was fun, but if I could do it again, I'd do it without having surgery first," Stewart said. "I'm used to surgery now. I'm usually up within the next day or so. Hospitals can't hold me down."
But one move is keeping Stewart at a standstill - the one from his parents' Hurricane home, across the street to a place of his own.
Stewart bought the 1,100-square-foot house in December 2006 with the help of the state Housing Development Fund and the Religious Coalition for Community Renewal. He makes monthly house payments from his disability check.
Stewart wants to turn the basement into a cozy log-cabin den for watching football. He already has a print to hang on the wall of a beach-themed bathroom, though he's far from calling the gray two-bedroom house his home.
Five surgeries over the last two years and visits to doctors in Morgantown have drained the Stewart family's time and ability to pay for renovations. The house needs a ramp and modifications to accommodate Stewart's motorized wheelchair, said his mother, Barbara Stewart.
The family needs donated materials like drywall, flooring and timber, as well as some steady volunteers to help make the house livable.
"We don't believe in the pity-party stuff. We just want him to be as independent as he can," she said. "Overall, he's a happy-go-lucky person, always with a smile on his face, but he gets discouraged because I don't think he sees any hope of getting in there."
After Stewart purchased the house in 2006, he lost all feeling below the waist. Neurological and orthopedic surgery restored most of his sensation, but the money and pain management meant the house had to wait.
"We had to stop work because I got sick and we really don't have anything to put into the house," Stewart said. "I know it will happen eventually. I just want to be able to get away from home and be more independent."
Renovating even a finished home to accommodate a person with a disability can cost thousands of dollars, depending on the number of rooms and types of work needed, according the Appalachian Center for Independent Living in Charleston. The center provides advocacy and support for people with disabilities.
Specially made kitchen or bathroom fixtures can be more expensive that conventional items and not all contractors are familiar with the needs of people with disabilities, said Larry Paxton, executive director for the center.
"You can't even describe the importance of being out on your own. People with disabilities want the same things that anybody wants. We want the right to live in a community, the right to access services and employment," Paxton said.
Stewart's family wants to turn one window into a door so he can get out of the house in an emergency. They need to install rails on the deck, which has a 12-foot drop, and finish the bedroom and bathroom so a caregiver can stay with him.
While Stewart is waiting for progress on the house, he plans to study criminal justice at Marshall University next year, commuting to class with his father, who works near the campus. Stewart is also looking for a job and volunteering at the high school football field.
"I don't like to beg, but we just can't do it all ourselves," Barbara Stewart said. "It's just been sitting there, and it breaks my heart. We just want to keep the promise we made when he was sick."
To contact the Stewart family, call Brenda and Tim Stewart at 380-7637 or 415-7405 or Branden Stewart at 380-8058, or e-mail faythh...@suddenlink.net.
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