A group of firefighters in Schaumburg are banding together to help build a pool deck for a 7-year-old girl with cerebral palsy and epilepsy after they learned a pool her family was recently gifted was difficult to use without a deck.
The pool was gifted to Kelly Boscardin's daughter, Savana, in May by the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Upon learning the pool was not easy for Savanah to use without a deck, Boscardin began looking at options.
“It would make it accessible for the both of us. They gave us ladders, but she is 55 pounds. I am strong, but not that strong,” Boscardin said.
Boscardin was not able to afford a pool deck, but did know a local contractor who told Boscardin she would only be charged for materials if she was able to find the labor.
Hoping to find help, Boscardin made a flier for social media and then remembered her interactions with Schaumburg firefighters who had been to the residence to fill the pool, something not typically done for residents.
Some of the firefighters also recalled Boscardin, as they had been to the home previously to aid Savanah during seizures.
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Boscardin had also applied and been accepted to a program called Project Fire Buddies. She brought the flier to a tour of the Schaumburg Fire Department on the Fourth of July and ended up finding her help.
This week, more than a dozen firefighters showed up at Boscardin's home to help build the pool deck.
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“A whole lot of muscle came out,” Boscardin said. “This tells us villages are so important – so special. And how amazing are our first responders? They are here for us because they just want to help."
Boscardin plans to host a pool party once the deck is finished, inviting all the first responders who helped to enjoy what they helped build.
Boscardin is now working to adapt her home for Savanah as she grows up, and has launched an online fundraiser to help reach her goal.
