Here at Happy 2 Be Home, nothing fills our hearts more than seeing a project come to life. Today, we are absolutely thrilled to share a massive milestone for a very special member of our family: 6-year-old Ethan Schwartz!
Ethan was born in 2009. From a very young age, his life has been shaped by a profound diagnosis of cardiorespiratory arrest and a subsequent brain injury. He is nonverbal and relies on a wheelchair, but his spirit is vastly bigger than his medical limitations.
Ethan and his parents officially became part of the Happy 2 be Home family back in 2013. Since then, our incredible team of volunteers, donors, and contractors have been hard at work. This year, we finally crossed the finish line on a major home renovation designed to give Ethan the independence, safety, and comfort he deserves.
We’ve completely transformed the Schwartz home by building a specialized first-floor bedroom, a fully accessible bathroom, a medical lift, and a custom ramp.
In the Family’s Words
Bringing a child with complex medical needs home requires an environment where they can truly thrive. This past year has thrown some incredibly difficult health challenges Ethan’s way, making this new space more important than ever.
We recently received this deeply moving note from the Schwartz family that reminds us exactly why this work matters:
“Let me just say that Ethan still loves his room, bathroom on the 1st floor, lift and ramp. We are still in such awe for all that Happy 2 be Home did to improve his life and our time with him. Ethan has had a very tough time this past year; he was hospitalized for many illnesses beginning last September. Most recently, we were in the hospital for most of July and all of August as Ethan’s heart condition has become profoundly more serious.
We are doing our best to manage his heart condition, but there are no more fixes to be done. No more procedures or surgeries. He is so happy to be back home in his wonderful room. It really means so much that we have the space to manage his medical needs at home. Ethan is living as full a life as possible, smiles, smirks and all… Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for Ethan to truly have a happy, safe home to live and thrive in.”
The Power of a Safe Home
This letter captures the very heartbeat of our mission. When a child faces continuous hospital stays, the greatest gift we can give a family is the ability to step away from clinical hospital wings and manage their medical needs safely in their own space. Because of these modifications, Ethan gets to be exactly where he belongs: at home, surrounded by the people who love him most.
We are so incredibly grateful to everyone in our community who donated their time, resources, and prayers to make this project possible. You didn’t just build a room—you built a sanctuary where Ethan can live, thrive, and share his beautiful smiles and smirks for a long time to come.
Welcome home, Ethan!
