AURORA —A Bhutanese refugee family in Aurora got some much-needed help just in time for Christmas.
A local nonprofit this month installed a free wheelchair ramp at the family’s home after one member underwent a massive surgery to help with his cerebral palsy.
Jai Dhungel, 33, was born in Bhutan and lived in a refugee camp in Nepal for almost 20 years.
His lifelong disability stopped his legs from growing and made walking very difficult. In the refugee camp, Dhungel’s father, mother and brother, Deo, helped him get around by holding him up while he used a bamboo cane to support himself.
“There’s no comparison (between Nepal and the United States),” said Deo Dhungel, 37. “In camp, we didn’t have hospitals to help take care of Jai, we didn’t have wheelchairs. There are a lot of things that you just can’t compare. The ramp means a lot for our family. More than I can really describe.”
In 2010, Dhungel and his immediate family came to Colorado. The family of seven lived in an apartment in Denver until this past summer, when they moved into a home in the 19000 block of East Lindvale Place in east Aurora. Two of the adults have found employment.
On Nov. 19, Dhungel underwent more than six hours of surgery on his legs. His doctors told him he needed to be on bed rest for no less than three months, and he has to use a wheelchair during that time.
Edgewater-based nonprofit caught wind of Dhungel’s situation through a referral program with the Denver Regional Council of Governments.
The nonprofit’s home maintenance and repair program has refurbished and installed ramps, rails and fixtures in the homes of thousands of disabled and elderly homeowners since 1971.
“Accessibility, home safety and housing in general are the biggest issues for both senior and disabled residents nationwide,” said Jason McCullough, Brothers Redevelopment home maintenance and repair program manager. “It’s so important because these folks don’t have anywhere else to go … It’s because of a lack of resources that they can’t” make the repairs or accessibility upgrades themselves.
Typically, Brothers helps residents who make about 60 percent to 80 percent of the average median income by upgrading their homes cost-free. McCullough said the home maintenance and repair program at Brothers has completed 110 projects in 2014. Including home painting work, Brothers has helped 163 families in Aurora in that time.
The 17-foot-long ramp took three days to build and was entirely paid for through the organization. It was finished Dec. 12.
For most of the day, Jai Dhungel lies in a hospital bed in the living room with his left leg hooked up to a machine that gently moves it back and forth. When he’s feeling a bit energized, he uses his wheelchair to get some fresh air out on the ramp.
From his bed, while Deo translated, Jai said: “The ramp is a really big thing for me so that I can exercise outside. I’m very grateful.”
The Dhungel family was put in touch with Brothers Redevelopment through the DRCOG’s community resource program, which has a division specifically designated for .
“Our entire goal is to help older refugees have immediate access to the same services that the general population is used to and uses and feels really comfortable with,” said Nicole Hartog, community resource program manager with DRCOG. “As a refugee, there are language barriers, cultural barriers, and several things that make it more difficult to feel comfortable reaching out to organizations like Brothers Redevelopment. That’s where we can help.”
Deo said the biggest thing for him is the versatility of the ramp and the timing after his brother’s surgery.
“Obviously, it’s incredibly helpful for Jai,” Deo said. “But my parents are getting older, and they might need it in the future. In our culture, we buy houses for the entire family to (grow old) in. I don’t know how to properly give thanks for this, because it’s going to help all of us for a long time in so many ways.”
Brothers Redevelopment home maintenance and repair program: 303-202-6340
