Renovations to woman's home help regain independence

As Linda Farrar's crippling disease progressed over the years, it became increasingly difficult for her to navigate her antiquated home and perform simple tasks such as washing the dishes.

But thanks to the enduring kindness and dedication of the members of the Yuma Southwest Contractors Association, she now has a sense of self-sufficiency and freedom that she lacked before.

YSCA recently completed renovations to her home that will make it safer and easier for her to navigate while in her powered wheelchair.

“I feel very secure that if I have to be alone, I can make it,” she said. “It is awe-inspiring. For me to be in the house, I get tears that it actually came to be. Here we are, and it is so beautiful. This is more than I ever dreamt possible. I've been riding around with a smile on my face.”

Farrar, a graduate of Kofa High School who owned and taught classes at Dancer's Workshop and founded Yuma Ballet Theatre, is afflicted with multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord.

According to the United States National Library of Medicine, symptoms include loss of balance, muscle spasms, difficulty walking and problems with coordination or making small movements.

Since Farrar was first diagnosed with the disease, her condition has steadily grown worse. Her continual loss of mobility made her home, which was built in the 1930s, very difficult to navigate and dangerous to live in.

Once the YSCA members became aware of her crippling condition, they decided to pool resources to renovate and expand her home. They named their effort “Help Save Miss Linda's House.”

The coalition gathered the thousands of dollars necessary to nearly double the size of her home by adding a new kitchen, bathroom and livingroom area.

Some of the new amenities are lowered light switches, wide open areas, expanded hallways and doorways, a large shower, remote-controlled ceiling fans and a handicapped accessible ramp into the home. Previously, Farrar had to use a makeshift wooden ramp to enter or exit.

Farrar, who suffers from eczema, can now wash her dishes without breaking out. She previously had to reach up to the sink, which caused water to run down her arms, causing skin irritation. The designers took this into account and installed a low kitchen sink and countertops, allowing her to reach down into it while seated.

“This is just really a relief for me,” she said.

Her new walk-in shower includes a showerhead that she is able to move up and down with ease. This allows her to use both hands to wash her hair, as opposed to before when she had to hold a detachable shower head in one hand at all times.

“I could never use two hands to do my hair.”

The project designers also made sure to make the home large enough for Farrar to enjoy the company of her 10 grandchildren.

“When they were building it, they were trying to make sure they were accommodating not just me but my family — my way of life.

“I have so much space for turning around at any time. My grandchildren can all be in here running around, and yet I am not overly nervous because I don't have to worry about slamming their feet.”

YSCA, with the aid of about 100 volunteers, constructed the addition to the home and renovate the existing portions with construction materials donated by several Yuma-area businesses.

It took three years to finish the project. The last step was to turn on the natural gas, which was done on Jan. 25.

“It's been quite a project,” said Pat Walker, project chairman. “It has taken a long time.”

The recession made it difficult for the coalition to find the resources necessary to complete the renovations, but YSCA persevered.

“People have been incredibly generous even as tough as times are,” Walker said. “It is remarkable how people have stepped up and donated and chipped in to make this thing come together. We've had some major donors. It's a pretty incredible story.”

Even though the housing crisis meant some of the construction volunteers couldn't find work, they still came forward and provided their services for free.

“As bad as things are … Yuma people are very special when it comes to giving, even if it's something they really can't afford to do,” Walker said. “We had carpenters that had not been employed for months down there donating their labor.”

Farrar, a fiercely independent woman who had difficulty accepting the outstanding generosity at first, has trouble finding the words to express her gratitude.

“What can you say? You can never show enough gratitude or say thank you enough. All you can ever hope in this world is that you do something that really changes somebody's life, and they can rest assured that they have certainly improved and changed mine.”

Farrar hopes she can pass on the kindness to others in any way she can.

“I hope that I will continue to do something that will be remarkable in somebody else's life. It took all these people to gather around and combine their efforts and their talents to create something like this. I am certainly humbled and truly grateful.”

The home will greatly benefit her family and improve Farrar's quality of life for many years to come, she said.

“It's continual happiness.”

YSCA is a nonprofit trade association serving southwest Arizona and surrounding states. It was created in 2002 and serves over 300 members throughout five states. For more information about YSCA, log on to www.yswca.com.

Chris McDaniel can be reached at cmcdaniel@yumasun.com or 539-6849.