Pupils with Disabilities Gave Teacher Idea of Accessible, Vacation House

OCEAN CITY – For the Cummins family, the week they stayed at the Beachview Dreams House was “the best week of our life. As a family unit, it brought us even closer,” according to the mother. 
For the Phillipy family, the week at the shore was the first time in eight years that the entire family was able to go to the beach. “We’ll never forget the experience,” noted their mother.
For two other families, their week at the shore was a rental “with a purpose,” as they were able to make a difference for others.
While going to the shore and beach may be fairly commonplace for many families, for the Cummins and Phillipy families, who each have a physically disabled child, going to the beach was made possible because of a house that was the dream of Megan and John Bolger, and because others “rent with a purpose.”
The Bolgers, who live in Pennsylvania but summer in Ocean City, made a home on St. James Place into a “cozy beach house, a home away from home” that has been modified for ease of wheelchair access. They provide families with a loved one who has physical or medical disabilities, as well as limited resources for vacationing, a free one-week dream vacation.
“My husband used to come to Ocean City as a kid,” Megan Bolger said, “and when I joined the family, I came down with them and became a true lover of the shore life. We eventually bought a summer home down here, and I would drive around and look at all the beautiful gardens and think what a beautiful place this is: Wouldn’t it be great to provide a get-away for families with disabled members.
“It’s something I’ve always just wanted to do,” she continued. She formerly taught elementary school where some of the children had disabilities. Working in Philadelphia, she also knew how some families really suffer financial hardships. “I knew that some of these families really had a hard time to get away, and I thought it was important for us to help. I really talked John into it.”
Her husband, John, laughs as he recalled not wanting to be a landlord, not wanting to have to deal with replacing a door knob and all the other things a landlord is responsible for.
They bought the house in January 2015 and with the help of many friends, painted and renovated the three-unit home. The first floor is a three-bedroom, wheelchair-accessible unit complete with widened halls and doorways, an expanded bathroom (roll-in shower, fixed and hand-held shower heads, grab rails, shower chair and a sink and toilet that comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations).
A new wheelchair lift leading to the front porch was installed earlier this year. It is provided rent-free to families who meet the Bolgers’ mission.
The second-floor unit contains three bedrooms with a spacious living area and recently renovated kitchen and bathroom. The front porch provides a relaxing lounge area with ocean views.
The third-floor unit can host a large family with its four bedrooms, spacious family room and eat-in kitchen. The second- and third-floor units are available to rent, with the income being used to pay for families who rent the first floor.
The Bolgers hosted 10 families last summer, and this year, are up to hosting 12. Danielle Cummins, from Maryland, was one of those first 10 families who stayed on the first floor. “Danielle wanted to rent last summer, but when I heard about her son’s condition, we insisted that they be our guests as Nate fits the criteria for our mission,” Megan said.
For the Cummins, the week at the shore was “completely overwhelming” according to the mother, “especially for our 9-year-old daughter, who is Nate’s sister. It was a life-changing event in that it was our first family vacation ever because we don’t have the flexibility to just pick up and go with Nate.”
Nate is 8, although his mother explained that he is at a 2-year-old level developmentally. He’s “in between diagnoses again, but his last diagnosis was multiple genetic disorders including Wolfram syndrome and mitochondrial dysfunction.”
One parent is with him at all times. Because they both work outside the home at different times, they rarely are all together at the same time as a family.
“It was a fantastic week for my son, but it was fantastic for all of us,” Cummins said. “As a family unit, it brought us even closer. It was the best week of our life.”
It was a special time for the Phillipy family, whose 15-year-old son was diagnosed with ALD eight years ago. (ALD is a genetic disorder most severely affecting boys and characterized by progressive neurological deterioration.) A social worker put them in touch with the Bolgers and the family had a “wonderful time at the beach. We are so grateful to Megan and John, we’ll never forget this experience,” Josephine Phillipy said.
“This was the first time in eight years that my son had been on the beach,” she noted, “and we took him every day because it was so close to walk to. We were able to get a beach chair with the big wheels and go as a family and enjoy the ice cream, rides, the sand, everything. We are just so grateful.”
Another family who rented three weeks ago “for a purpose” was the Mitsler family from Ardmore, Pa. Friends with Barbara and Nick Mancini, they are aware of how resources need to be put toward doctors, medicine, specialized equipment, supplies and transportation because the Mancinis have a 32-year-old daughter who has a seizure disorder and has never been able to walk or talk.
Sharon Mitsler learned about Beachview Dreams from the Mancini’s oldest daughter who is a doctor. “Knowing what a difference it was going to make to the family to be able to get away in a safe environment meant the world to me,” Mitsler said.  “People don’t realize how exhausting it is to provide 24/7/365 care and this would be an opportunity for some rejuvenating and quality family time with their daughters and grandchildren. While their daughter would still require the constant care, they would be able to have a change of scenery and enjoy the beach. When the Mancinis came to Beachview Dreams for their week last summer, there was a gift basket full of beach things, gift cards, free passes, etc.,  to make it even more special.”
Mitsler decided she “needed” to be a part of the Beachview Dreams endeavor, so she rented the third floor for one week last August. “My daughter, my brother’s family and other friends had the best week in a very long time and we felt very good because we knew we were helping to make a difference to someone else,” she noted. 
“Beachview Dreams was clean, close to the beach, and reasonably priced unlike many of the destinations at the shore. 
Those interested in renting, donating or learning can visit the website: www.beachviewdreams.com.
To contact Karen Knight, email kknight@cmcherald.com.