Make A Wish Foundation and Chapel Valley Plans for Ava's Garden
Christmas 2008 has been an exceptional blessing for Ava. Our Lord and good people on this earth continue to shower her with gifts that will be remembered for years to come.
The good people of the Mid-Atlantic Make a Wish Foundation and the Chapel Valley Landscape Company made a wish come true for Ava that is truly astounding. To the left is the plan they came up with.
Anyone who has visited our house knows about “the path” — a path made of many shaped Pennsylvania Blue flagstones installed many years ago by the house’s previous owners. Over the years, the flagstones became extremely uneven and basically formed an obstacle course for even the most surefooted among us. At one point, the flagstones even sank into a ditch-like area leading to the driveway.
For Ava, the flagstones meant a bumpy-ride at best. At worst, they prevented her from going from the driveway to the backyard, or the driveway to the front door of the house. During Halloween, Ava had to wait in the driveway as all the other children visited her own front door to get candy; Mommy had to come down the darkened path to give Ava a treat.
That set up the wish: a level path around the house that Ava could travel in her powerchair, allowing her to go round and round like any other child might.
The Mid-Atlantic Make a Wish Foundation and the Chapel Valley Landscape Company were up to the task. After meeting with us and surveying the scope of what was needed, they returned with a plan that literally left the family in tears.
First, all of the flagstones would be dug up, the path widened, deepened, and leveled. Next, crushed stone would be laid and packed, then topped off with a beautiful packed pebblestone to form a path around the entire house.
Then came the lagniappe as we would say in Louisiana — to the left of the house, the path would divert off to an unused part of backyard and into a small, round landscaped flower garden, just for Ava. It was a plan that seem great in concept. And after much work by Chapel Valley, the dust settled, and the plan became a wish granted.
Ava now has a beautiful, wide gravel path around the entire house, allowing her to finally get to the front door, the patio, virtually anywhere on our lot.
And she also has a beautiful, bamboo-surrounded garden with a lattice-framework, A-frame vine covered flower box area for her to go through. Other flowering plants and ferns were planted around the garden, awaiting the warmth of the spring to burst forth.
It is indeed a wish come true. And though thanks seem little in comparison, we do heartily thank the Make A Wish Foundation and Chapel Valley Landscape Company. They have given Ava access to her house. And to her garden. May God abundantly bless all those involved in making this wish come true!
Below is a video of Ava riding along her path and Garden for the first time!
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