A family in Calgary, Alberta in Canada has received a donated elevator to help them care for their son at home.

Six-year-old Caleb Hitchcock was born with polymicrogyria, which is caused by an underdeveloped brain. He appeared to be healthy for several months, but he eventually began to have seizures. He was soon having as many as 100 per day.

Caleb has significant physical and mental developmental delays because of his condition. His parents transport him in a wheelchair, but it was difficult to move him from one floor to another in their house. They considered installing a porch or a stair lift, but both were too expensive.

Give a Kid a Lift, a partnership involving Easter Seals Alberta and Canwest Elevator and Lifts, provided the Hitchcocks with an elevator in their home to make it easier to transport Caleb. Before, they had to lift him themselves.

In order to install the elevator, the family’s gas fireplace was removed. The City of Calgary granted permits for the renovation, and Canwest Elevator and Lifts installed an elevator donated by Garaventa Lift. The cost of the elevator and installation was about $50,000.

Canwest holds a fundraiser every March to raise money to donate elevators to people in need. Suppliers donate elevators and parts, and installers donate their time.

The elevator can lift more than its 750-pound capacity. It has also lifted the Hitchcock family’s spirits. They say it will help even more as Caleb grows up. The Hitchcocks are the sixth family to receive a home elevator through the Give a Kid a Lift program.