Regina businesses to renovate home for mobility of 8-year-old

A group of businesses in Regina are stepping up to renovate the home of eight-year-old Vienna Kennedy who struggles with mobility issues.

Vienna likes to sing, do arts and crafts and play on her dad’s computer, but her physical limitations from a syndrome called Arthrogryposis make it difficult to move around her house.

Derek Wu at Collaborative Contracting said he thought he was going to do a regular bathroom quote when he first went to the family home. Eventually he realized the situation was out of the ordinary and wanted to do a little more.

He and Brandon Fuchs from Superior Contracting started rounding up hundreds of volunteers, fundraising and partnering with others in the community to transform the Kennedy family’s house.

That’s when their campaign, Build Love, began in June.

Build Love is a campaign created in June 2018 after Vienna Kennedy’s family touched the hearts of construction workers. (Jayda Noyes/980 CJME).

“I think some of the things we’ve always hoped for our home is that it could be used as a place of blessing and a place where we can invite others in and that there’d be no barriers,” said Jared Kennedy, Vienna’s dad.

Vienna’s mom Liana said she initially requested the quote to have their bathroom renovated to be more spacious because Vienna can only move independently with a walker, requiring more room.

“I think it’s been a miracle throughout the process, just the fact that they were moved to even do the bathroom for us and that they’re moved to do more,” said Liana.

Wu said the timing was perfect to take on the project.

“Lakeview has really become a home for Collaborative Construction in general. The reality is because we do so much work in it, when this family approached us about doing a standard job, it almost acted like a no-brainer. I think the stars just aligned,” he said.

Wu added the Kennedys are in for a bit of a surprise.

“I think it’s pretty aware at this point that it’s grown to the extensiveness of the entire house. As far as the fine details go, I don’t think they’re gonna be prepared to see some of those changes.”

Construction is set to start on September first.