Tradesmen offer to donate services

Shayne Annan offered his services to Sarah de la Haye, who has cerebral palsy, so she can renovate her bathroom after losing a deposit to Mercy Renovators. He encouraged other people to help out too. Photo / Paul Taylor

Local tradesmen not known to disabled woman Sarah de la Haye have offered their services to make her dream of a more independent life come true - but they need some help.

The businessmen came forward after reading a story in Saturday's Hawke's Bay Today, detailing how the Hastings woman with cerebral palsy lost a $4250 bathroom deposit when Mercy Renovators went into voluntary liquidation.

Ms de la Haye had planned to remove a bath and shower at the home she shared with fiance Craig Hansen to make room for a wet area, which would allow her to shower unassisted.

She has spastic diplegia which affects all four limbs but mostly the lower half of her body, meaning she moves around in a wheelchair.

The couple had paid a deposit on their credit card and were not eligible for full assistance through Enable disability funding because Mr Hansen worked fulltime.

If the work had gone ahead as planned they could have claimed something back.

Shayne Annan, owner of Suncity Plastering and Wet-seal Hawke's Bay contacted the paper saying he would donate his time to waterproof and gib stop the bathroom with the hope others might join him.

"I just thought 'I can help' - I felt reading the story I have got services I can give them, then if we can get some others on board we will be able to make it happen," he said.

Ryan Whittaker of Plumbing and Drainage Contractors had offered to help plumb the bathroom, but they would still need a builder, tiler and some materials to complete the job.

Ms de la Haye was caught off guard when Hawke's Bay Today called to deliver the good news.

"It means an awful lot - we just didn't know what direction to turn ... I don't know what to say. I think it definitely shows that people do care. We were devastated with what happened but with the article and Givealittle we can see the community cares."

A Givealittle page which was set up in desperation raised $270 over the weekend, which would go towards the $4250 credit card bill they incurred paying for the bathroom renovations that never went ahead.

To donate see: givealittle.co.nz/cause/wetareashower2015

- If anyone would like to offer their services or can donate materials such as tiles and bathroom fittings please contact the news desk on: (06)873-9810 or email: news@hbtoday.co.nz