It’s hard to say what you might do if you learned one of your children had cerebral palsy. Bill and Michelle Bliven wiped their tears, gathered their strength and played the hand they were dealt.
Three Teens Make for a Busy House
Any house with three teens can be chaotic. The oldest, Kristen, is looking forward to community college this fall. Until then, she’s playing softball, socializing and helping out at home. The youngest, Taylor, loves to play golf and build things, but he’ll leave either activity to watch Lord of the Rings.
Middle son, Aaron, loves sports—especially rodeo, the Minnesota Vikings and playing baseball. Because of his cerebral palsy, his mobility is dependent upon a wheelchair to get around. Even so, the Blivens treat Aaron just like any other kid.
Helping Others Catch Their Dreams
Baseball lover that he is, Aaron and his younger brother played on the same little league—that is until the league decided Aaron’s health was too much of a risk for the great American pastime.
Michelle Bliven is not one to take “no” for an answer. Instead of benching her young son, she started a special league. Dream Catchers is a little league team made up entirely of children with special needs. For her tireless efforts in creating an environment in which every child is special, Michelle received the Hometown Hero award.
Time for a Home Field Advantage
Almost twenty years ago Bill and Michelle purchased a decent but modest home to raise their family. They didn’t anticipate needing to accommodate a wheel chair and other equipment.
The house exemplifies the old cliché, “you can’t judge a book by it’s cover.” Outside you see a well-kept home and a manicured lawn. However, the meticulous home is no longer safe for the family—specifically Aaron and Michelle.
Aaron has graduated to an adult-sized wheel chair that no longer fits through the hallways of the home, so he must be carried from room to room. Because Bill suffered two heart attacks last year, he is unable to lift his son any longer. That places the physical burden on Michelle’s shoulder—and back and legs and arms.
Space is a constant problem for the family. As their bedrooms are too small to accommodate Aaron, he must be dressed and attended to in the living room—just what every 14-year-old young man wants.
The bathtub is way too small for Aaron’s frail stiff body and Michelle is afraid she will one day drop him. The hallways are also too small for his equipment so when Michelle carries him, it is inevitable he scrapes his legs or bumps his head.
A Family of Sacrifice Hitters
The Bliven family has made many sacrifices. Michelle and Bill haven’t slept in the same room for years. Michelle has to sleep on a cot in Aaron’s room in order to turn him to prevent bedsores. The insurmountable bills for treatment, medication, equipment and more have made it difficult to make the home more friendly to Aaron’s—and the family’s—needs.
Building a Heritage for the Blivens
Despite daily challenges most of us will never face, the Blivens live a life of gratitude demonstrated by giving back to the community. Even in their modest surroundings they’ve created a place where smiles are abundant, kids of every kind know they’re special and dreams become reality.
Just as the Blivens are focused on building a heritage for their family and community, so is the building team. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Heritage Homes are leading the team that will score a home run for this family.
