$40K needed to retrofit Fort McMurray home for teen in wheelchair

Drake Patenaude hasn't seen some parts of his home for almost a year.

Patenaude is a 15-year-old boy who used to hang out with his sister in the basement of their family home,goto sleepovers and regularly attend school. But complications caused by hismuscular dystrophy meanthe first floor of the family homehas now becomelike a prison.

His parents are raising money to help pay the cost of making theirhouse more accessible to their son.

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Retrofits are needed after a minor fall in November 2016 hastened the inevitable for Patenaude and others who live with the genetic muscle-wasting condition life in a wheelchair.

Someone might get hurt

After the fall,Patenaude could no longer walk, much lessclimb the stairs at the front door. He can only get inside or leave if two people carefully rollhis wheelchairup or down each step.

Thefamily worriesit's not safe but said they have no other choice.

"There's no way I can do it," Patenaude's mom Tracy said. "Even for [my husband]it is dangerous like if his back goes, then they both go down the stairs."

The morning ritual of getting himout of thehouse was so risky,Patenaude's high school told his parents not to send him to school anymore. A home tutor was assigned instead.

Patenaude is back at school. But hisuncle and dadmust carefully roll the wheelchair and the 140-pound teenager slowly down the stairs and then transfer him to his power scooter in the garage.

The Patenaudes have turned to social media to ask peopleto donate to their GoFundMe page.

They've asked the government and other aid agencies for help, but because Patenaude's dad earns more than $45,000a year from hisoilsandsjob, the family doesn't qualify for most grants.

Families with incomes above the Canadian average usually don't qualify for assistance, said Tracy Ryan, director of advocacy and partnerships with Muscular Dystrophy Canada.

Yet these families often need toretrofit their homes and pay for power chairs andlifts for the home, said Ryan.

"[Families]might seem, based on the national average, to be quite well off, but when you consider they are not eligible for the supports and services available," Ryan said. "Then they are on their own."

Muscular Dystrophy Canada, which raises money for those in need,has given the family a $17,000 grant,thePatenaudessaid.

The familyhopes to raise another $40,000 for an accessible bathroom offering easy access to a shower and sink that's the right height for their son, and an elevator that allows him to access every floor of the house.

Follow David Thurton, CBC'sFort McMurraycorrespondent, onFacebook,Twitterand email him atdavid.thurton@cbc.ca