A roll-under crib with swing-out doors has put parenthood within reach for Jessica Vliegenthart
Jessica’s challenge was caring for her son, six-month old Remy. “It’s not that motherhood was my lifetime dream, but I would have been shocked and dismayed if I’d not been able to have children,” she said. “It’s a natural process – one of the stages of life.”
She contacted the Tetra Society to request a modified crib. Volunteers Alf Leimertn, chair of Okanagan College’s Construction Trades Department, and woodworker Les Ebl eagerly took on the project.
“It was quite a challenge because the legs on the original crib were short, and they had to raise them so a wheelchair could roll under” recalls Alf. Alf and Les added hinges and latches so it would open up at the front in the style of a barn door. They also looked at safety from various perspectives – what type of paint they were using, and making sure that the latches would hold a rambunctious toddler.
The completed crib was delivered just before Christmas and baby Remy moved right in! “The crib’s amazing. It allows me to be independent, especially when my husband is at work,” Jessica said.