Raised:
USD $900
Campaign funds will be received by Sara Boverhof
In July of 2019, Peter Boverhof, father of 7, and husband to Sara, took a bad fall and suffered a devastating spinal cord injury. Life since has been a challenge to say the least. He has no movement below his armpits and very limited sensation- and that varies day by day. Initially, he needed assistance with getting dressed, getting into his wheelchair, showering, getting into bed, repositioning in bed, making food, and anything outside. While he has made minimal progress in some of these areas, it has been quite limited. In addition to the Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), he has also been dealing with some serious pressure sores. He had been hospitalized for 7 weeks shortly after his accident and they still deal with them. Due to these wounds that refuse to heal and close over, physiotherapy has been out of the question. Much of the lack of progression is due to their housing situation.
Thanks to an amazing organization, Peter has been able to get on a tractor and do some field work with the boys in nicer weather; not too hot, not too cold as his body does not regulate temperature anymore.
Due to his injury, there was a time where there was no income aside from donations from some incredibly generous people. The lack of income created some additional challenges. The family has utilized the food bank when needed, gone thrift shopping, watched the clearance racks, and greatly appreciated people thinking of them when they decluttered their closets for clothing for their growing children, 6 boys and 1 girl.
Sara works outside the home at a retail deli for some buffer income, and the farm is beginning to create an income, which is not consistent enough to be able to depend on it. They are raising pigs, beef cattle, chickens for eggs and meat, and they also have a few small animals and a milk cow. They raise as much food for the family as they can, including a large garden, which keeps the grocery list as short as possible.
The fields grow as much food as possible for the animals to keep those costs low.
Following is the context of the need for assistance.
In 2018, Peter's dad passed away and he was given the option to buy the family farm, which was agreed to prior to his accident. After the accident, the mortgage on their current home was beyond their financial means; so with selling that house the farm became free and clear of debt. The plan had always been to build a new home on the farm, and not have to live in the current house due to some serious issues of mold. Since Sara suffers from chronic Lyme disease, mold causes some health challenges for her.
More reasons to build at the time were a leaking roof, high heating costs due to lack of insulation, and severe lack of space. It is a small home, very old, and not built for 9 people. The oldest has recently moved out, so currently 8 people are living in the house. Due to their financial situation, they were forced to move into the house there. Since living there awareness of more issues has arisen; some have been resolved, but others are just not worth the money. There have been multiple contractors consulted to help rectify or advise on the situation; but since the problems involve the foundation, roof, electrical and plumbing, all felt it was not worth spending any money on it.
Currently, Peter lives in the living room due to his needs with a special bed and special care. He is only able to access the kitchen and living room on his own with his wheelchair. The bathroom has been updated to make it more accessible, but he can only access it with his shower chair and assistance. There are two bedrooms for the 5 boys, and Sara and her daughter share the master bedroom. The kitchen has major floor slopes and minimal storage. The functionality of the kitchen is limited as it also works as the main entrance into the house, so also a porch of sorts. Peter comes into the house with the wheelchair through the living room as the ramp into the house goes to that exterior door.
The goal moving forward is to build a new, completely accessible house. There is a tentative floor plan, but with Peter’s disability and the small income from the farm, they will not be approved for financing. They’re feeing stuck. Various programs have been examined, Habitat for Humanity, for one, but they fail to qualify for that as well.
They can’t access life insurance for a disability payout because fine print says since his diagnosis isn't a terminal one, they don’t qualify.
They were given an estimate to build a basic accessible floor plan of $400K. Costs have risen substantially since then and estimates are now above the $500K level.
While any amount is appreciated, keep in mind what is required to put this family in a much better situation. They have endured through these past years, people have been generous with the day to day of their lives, and they have appreciated and been so thankful to our heavenly Father for His goodness.
Please prayerfully consider donating and blessing this family as the Lord directs you and as He has blessed you; but don’t feel obligated if you may also have pressing financial needs. Prayer for this family and their situation is also necessary and greatly appreciated.
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