An Oregon Community Came Together To Construct A 500-Square-Foot Tiny House For A Teenager Who Is Paralyzed

Oct 11, 2021 by apost team

Tiny homes have become all the rage in the last few years and there is a multitude of reasons why they're popular. From saving on space or portability to being a more affordable or sustainable option, the reasons one might choose to live in a tiny home vary greatly for each individual. 

In the case of 16-year-old Oregon resident Ethan Gillaspie, it was a case of accessibility. After suffering from a tree-felling accident last year that left him paralyzed on the lower half of his body, Ethan and his family were faced with the realization that their home wasn't easily accessible for the teenager and his wheelchair. 

That's when his community got involved and built him a tiny home. Leading the project was Dan Hill, architect and founder of Arbor South Architecture. With the aim of making a more accessible home for the teenager, Hill and his firm worked with Ethan and his parents, Dave and Rebecca Gillaspie to design a house that would fit his needs. In an Instagram post shared by the architecture firm they described the design as a "small, detached, barrier-free cottage adjacent to [the family's] current home."

Arbor South Architecture then worked with many other local companies and volunteers to build Ethan the 500-square-foot tiny home in six months. Situated just a few hundred feet from his parents' house, Ethan's new abode, dubbed "Gillaspie Cottage" by the architecture firm, was designed to give ample wheelchair access to the teenager, as well as housing a large shower and other such amenities. 

Speaking with local news station KEZI, Hill revealed:

"When we heard about the accident with Ethan becoming paralyzed, we just knew that their existing home wasn't adequate for his ability to maneuver the house."

Built and funded by volunteers from the Eugene and Springfield areas, Hill led the project to its completion. He spoke to the news outlet about the construction process, saying: 

"We just put together a team of volunteers, people that I work with on a regular basis, and just reached out to community people about donating materials and dollars and you know their labor and over the last six months we were able to create this wonderful little home for Ethan."

In the end, dozens of people donated their time or resources to help with the project. Another community member, Kurt Arnold, who owns Right-Way Plumbing, told KEZI about finding time outside of regular working hours to help out:

"A lot of weekends, some after hour times. You know I just talked to my guys and asked if they'd be willing to donate some time and we all just jumped in [and] got it done."

The family told the news outlet how incredibly grateful they are to their community for doing this. Hill, who's known the Gillaspie family for years, added he was happy to have worked with them on the project. He told KEZI:

"They're just the most wonderful family. They're just humble and grateful, and they were open to our ideas and just wanting to help where they could help, too." 

apost.com

What a wonderful display of community support! What do you think about Ethan's new home "Gillaspie Cottage"? Do you know of a similar story where a community came together to help one of its members? Pass this story on to spread this wonderful message.