Charitable grant gives local boy independence

GIFT OF INDEPENDENCE. Thanks to a grant from the President’s Choice Children’s Charity, 6-year-old Christian Hauck will have a wheelchair lift installed in his home. Top left to right: Maggie Rittenhouse, Jessica Hauck, Jake Hauck, Allan Hauck and Randy Robinson. Bottom left to right, Christian Hauck and Alexa Hauck. Submitted photo

HUNTSVILLE – When you meet Christian Hauck you can’t help but smile. The happy-go-lucky six-year-old’s joy for life radiates outward and is quite contagious.
On Aug. 23, Christian may have had an extra reason to smile, with news he would have an elevator lift installed in his family’s home after receiving a $12,000 grant from President’s Choice Children’s Charity (PCCC). But his parents assure he’s always full of joy.
“He’s a very happy kid,” said Christian’s father, Allan Hauck.
“He’s like this all the time though, he never complains about anything,” his mother, Jessica Hauck, added.
Christian was born with Cerebral Palsy-Spastic Diplegia and must use a wheelchair to move around. His parents have been working for the past year and a half to have a wheelchair lift installed in their home. They applied for numerous grants to no avail, until they received a call from the local Robinson’s Independent Grocers announcing Christian had been chosen for the PCCC grant.
“It was so exciting,” said Jessica. “We were just overjoyed with relief, it was the greatest blessing ever; completely unexpected.”
“It’s amazing,” said Allan. “It’s something we could never give him. It’s allowing us to give him every opportunity to be independent and successful. It wouldn’t be possible without the help from all the organizations.”
The wheelchair lift will be installed once renovations to the Hauck family’s basement are complete.
“It’s about giving a child independence,” said Maggie Rittenhouse, community events coordinator with Robinson’s Independent Grocers. “I think that’s the biggest thing, every child wants to do things on their own and he hasn’t been able to, to this point.”
Renovations include a wheelchair-accessible bathroom, a bedroom for when Christian is older and a small kitchenette.
“If he never moves out, he’ll have his own apartment down there,” said his dad.
The basement renovations were made possible with a $12,000 donation from the Huntsville Bushwackers Hockey Club. The funds will supply the materials necessary to complete the renovations, while the Hauck family will perform the labour. Allan’s father is a licenced carpenter and Jessica’s dad is a retired general contractor.
“The biggest thing is being able to look after him properly,” said Allan. “We need him to be able to use his chair as he gets bigger.”
Jessica has a lifting restraint due to back injuries and she can’t always lift Christian.
Currently he needs to be carried into their home; at least until the basement renovations are complete. Then he will be able to enter the home on his own with his wheelchair.
“He’s a very independent little boy,” Jessica said about her son who will be heading into Grade 2 this September.
Christian is looking forward to not putting a strain on his mother’s health.
For him the best part of all this is, “that I won’t have to be lifted anymore.”
“He has a big heart,” said his mom. “He really cares about others.”
Rittenhouse wants to make the Huntsville community more aware of the PCCC grant as it can only be given out locally if residents apply.
“If we don’t have anybody that applies here this year, it will go somewhere else,” said Rittenhouse.
There has been one recipient each year over the past six years in Huntsville who has received the grant.
This year’s campaign to raise funds for the PCCC will run from Aug. 31 to Sept. 14. Shoppers are encouraged to give a $2 donation at grocery checkouts.
“The beauty of a small town is giving back,” said Randy Robinson, owner of Robinson’s Independent. “People are going to support us, that’s nice and we want to return that by giving back. It’s not just a job; it’s a place where we live, where we raised our family. The more we can do to help the community then the better we feel about living here. It’s a great town.”

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