DROITWICH-based adapted-living specialists AKW teamed up with the BBC’s DIY SOS team to transform the life of a 17-year-old girl living with a complex medical condition.
The brand new episode of the popular BBC show saw Nick Knowles and the DIY SOS crew join forces with AKW to design and fit a bathroom to meet the requirements of Antonia Payne-Cheney who lives with a condition called Ehlers-Danlos.
Antonia, who lives in Eckington, uses a specially-adapted wheelchair designed to keep her legs elevated for the purpose of preventing her from losing consciousness.
This poses a variety of accessibility, safety and manoeuvrability issues.
To overcome these challenges, AKW helped design a bathroom which not only minimised safety hazards but also made the bathroom easier to use while providing additional space for Antonia to manoeuvre. Key to the final bathroom design was the inclusion of AKW’s iCare shower.
This has allowed Antonia to regain a level of independence thanks to a remote which enables her to control the shower herself instead of relying on others or risking unconsciousness because of the need to raise her arms to operate other types of showers.
Thanks to joint efforts of AKW, DIY SOS and other local businesses, Antonia is now able to remain living happily at home with her family instead of moving away to other specialised accommodation.
AKW’s director of customer support services Paul Tingey was one of the first to visit the Payne-Cheney family home to review the existing bathroom and the plans for the new version.
Paul Massey, AKW’s CEO, said the firm was incredibly proud to have provided expertise to the DIY SOS team.
“The difference these projects make to the families’ home environment, their day-to-day quality of life, independence and rehabilitation is immeasurable and it never fails to hit home to us just how much the families appreciate the positive outcomes that these adaptations have.”
