During his 13 years, Garrett McGowan has overcome more obstacles than most people will face in a lifetime.
The Waverly Middle School student, who was born with a condition that causes bleeding in his brain stem, has been in and out of hospitals most of his life. He now uses a wheelchair and has a tracheostomy tube.
"He's a fighter, that's for sure," his mother, Heidi McGowan, said on Monday as she thanked Sparrow Health System and local labor union members for donating various home improvements that will make the Lansing family's battle a little easier.
"He was told he'd never eat again, and he did. He was told he'd never walk again, and he did. There are so many things he's overcome in the past year."
Members of Carpenters Local 1004 built a ramp for Garrett's wheelchair. Electricians from IBEW Local 665 installed a new circuit for the medical equipment Garrett needs to keep fighting, donating the materials, as well as the labor. Members of Plumbers & Pipefitters UA Local 333 installed a new toilet and shower fixtures to accommodate his needs.
The projects were facilitated by Sparrow, which covered some of the cost of materials.
"I knew they needed help, I knew they needed some resources," said Claire Corr, Sparrow's labor community specialist. "Heidi was carrying (Garrett) in and out of the house, and that was getting difficult."
In all, the mini-home makeover would have cost $5,000 or more, union members estimated.
Garrett was diagnosed with Cavernous Malformations at age one. The condition causes hemorrhages in the brain stem, the area that controls the heart, breathing and other vital functions. He had major surgeries in 2010, 2013 and 2015, the last of which left him paralyzed on his right side and unable to walk, Heidi McGowan said.
He was Sparrow Children's Center's Miracle Child for 2015.
Heidi McGowan choked back tears as she talked about the donated home makeover.
"The time that the labor workers and union workers put in (to these projects) is truly amazing, and our family is blessed for everything they have done," she said.
Read whole story here: http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/local/2016/05/09/family-gets-mini-makeover-courtesy-hospital-labor-unions/84153364/
Contact Ken Palmer at (517) 377-1032 or kpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBPalm_lsj.