Brotherly Love: Saturday Fundraiser For Two Boys
By Ukee Washington
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Saturday, a Chester County community will join together for a fundraiser to help two boys. They're brothers, and they both have Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
When 11-year-old Jake Fritz rides his scooter from the family van to his house, "it gets stuck in the grass because it's really bumpy and holey."
The path isn't paved, and his wheels have a tough time getting up the ramp to the door.
Both Jake and his 7-year-old brother Ryan have Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a fatal genetic disorder causing progressive muscle weakness.
"This disease makes families feel very alone. It's a rare disease," said their mother, Lauren Fritz.
That's where Scott Hamrick stepped in. He's president of the all-volunteer non-profit Happy 2 Be Home, which makes homes accessible to the disabled.
"There's not a lot of houses built handicapped accessible to begin with, and when there are, they're not generally on the market because the family that built them is living in them," Hamrick said.
Last year, the Fritz family and Happy 2 Be Home raised funds for a ramp and a bathroom.
"We have an accessible sink, toilet, and a roll-in shower that the boys can now use," Lauren said. "It's made life a lot easier."
Saturday, the family will throw a second fundraiser to raise money for a wider driveway. There will be music, dancing, and a silent auction. Jake and Ryan even donated their own artwork. To Jake and Ryan's mom, the community's help means the world.
"In the face of something so difficult that there's so much kindness, and so much love out there, too," Lauren said.
In the last 3 years, Happy 2 Be Home has raised more than a quarter of a million dollars for families so life at home is a little easier.
Even if you can't attend the fundraiser, you can donate to a trust set up for Jake and Ryan. Their website is www.HopeRocks.info
Their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/HopeRocksForJakeAndRyan
Find out about Happy 2 Be Home at www.happy2behome.org
