Queenstown farmer offers to pay for lift after hearing of dad forced to carry disabled daughter

The Thomas family live on a steep section in Wellington and need a wheelchair lift installed for their daughter. Photo / 123rf, Vera Tikhonova

By Amy Williams of RNZ

A farmer in Queenstown has offered to pay the shortfall for a lift so a dad does not have to carry his teenage daughter from her wheelchair to their front door.

The Thomas family live on a steep section in Wellington and need a lift installed, but that work has been on hold for more than a year because the funding won’t cover the cost.

After hearing the story on Morning Report, the farmer got in contact with RNZ to offer help.

He wishes to remain anonymous.

“I just thought that’s a bit tough for some people, and I do appreciate that the Gvernment can’t cover absolutely everything, and I thought yeah, well I can afford to cover that, so why not.”

The Thomas family have seven steps to their front door.

Dinson Thomas said they park the car near the steps, and he then carries his 13-year-old daughter Ann, who weighs close to 40kg and has cerebral palsy and complex needs, into the house.

The farmer said that sounded like a hard situation to be in, and he wanted to help.

“I was just thinking, well, it wouldn’t be too good if he did slip and I know that’s easy enough to do on stairs and it’s just nice to be able to help when you can sometimes.”

Thomas said they received the maximum funding to have a platform lift installed, just over $15,000.

The work started last February, but a month later, he was advised that the quote came in $4000 over the funding, so he put the project on hold because he couldn’t afford it.

Now it can go ahead, and Thomas is very thankful.

“I’m really surprised ... it will be really helpful for Ann [because] contributing that much amount suddenly is really hard in this situation.

“Me, my wife, Ann and her sister Aimee are really thankful for him.”

Disability advocate Blake Forbes said the act of kindness is generous and appreciated, but he would like to see people in such situations given more support to start with.

“That’s very generous and great, but in a way it shouldn’t have to come to this,” he said.

“The initial funding is too low, of course. In a perfect world, it should be based on what every individual client or family needs; it shouldn’t be up to the individual to pay the excess.”

As for the farmer, he was preparing to head into the mountains for a hunting trip when RNZ talked to him, and donate the meat to a community charity helping those in need.

“I’m going hunting this afternoon, and if I shoot any meat, most of that meat will be turned into sausages and given to Happiness House in Queenstown.”

He hopes his actions encourage more people to look for ways to help others.

- RNZ