Community Corner

Home Renovations Should Make Jablonski's Life Easier

A new elevator and basement 'man cave' are designed to turn the home into a hangout.

When Jack Jablonski returns home sometime this spring, he should be able to take an elevator from his second-floor bedroom to a basement "man cave."

The Jablonski family is in the early stages of renovating their Minneapolis residence to make life a little bit easier and more comfortable for Jack. The 16-year-old sophomore hockey player from Benilde-St. Margaret’s will likely use a motorized wheelchair when he comes home from the Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute in Minneapolis, where he's been for the past month.

Jack’s mother, Leslie Jablonski, hopes the renovations make Jack feel as comfortable as possible at home. Her son was severely injured by a hit during a game on Dec. 30, and he's been at Sister Kenny or the Hennepin County Medical Center ever since.

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That's why it's so important to Jack that he get his own bedroom back, Leslie Jablonski said. And because many of Jack's friends don't have wheelchair accessible homes, Leslie Jablonski said making her home a welcoming place is a big goal, too.

“We want his friends to come over,” Leslie Jablonski said. “You want to kind of make yours the hub where people can come over and hang.”

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Jack will likely be discharged from Sister Kenny sometime in the next six to eight weeks, so there's a deadline for any renovations. Leslie Jablonski said the plan is to level a sun room adjacent to Jack's room, making room for an elevator shaft and a personal bathroom for Jack. The elevator will go to the main floor and also to the basement.

“We have a plan, and we really have to get moving on that fast,” Leslie Jablonski said.

Leslie Jablonski is unsure of the exact price tag of the renovations at this point. To help the Jablonski family with this and other needs, visit the Jack Jablonski Fund website.


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