Elijah needs your help

Toni Barrett with the 'smiley, happy' Elijah. Photo / Doug Sherring

A family unemployed by the Te Aroha meatworks fire have been told they're not entitled to full funding to renovate their home for their disabled 2-year-old son.

Josh Barrett watched his livelihood go up in smoke when a fire at the Te Aroha Silver Fern Farms freezing works put him and 349 others out of work, three weeks before Christmas.

Although many of the town's workers soon found employment at other Silver Fern Farms factories in Hastings and Dargaville, Barrett can't leave town because he and his wife, Toni, need to stay close at hand to care for their youngest son, Elijah, who has cerebral palsy, epilepsy and low vision.

Because Elijah is growing, they need to convert the house to cater for his needs, including a wheelchair ramp and changes to the bathroom and bedroom.

Enable, the company that manages disability funding for MidCentral Health, acknowledges the work will cost $35,000, but says it can provide only $23,000.

The family must find the $12,000 balance to make these repairs happen - so they're appealing to the public for help.

The Barretts have been told they are not entitled to grants through Winz or ACC, only the health funding.

"Because Elijah is going into a wheelchair soon it will be impossible for him to get in the house," said Toni.

"Showering him is a problem because we just don't have the room.

"We estimate we need $12,000 to get everything we need. We planned to save the money ourselves but, with Josh losing his job, there's just no way we can."

Elijah was a very good kid, "a very smiley, happy boy".

But because of his disabilities he needed 24-hour care. "He can't do anything for himself. It is hard on the family but we've got really good support so everyone helps out."

Josh is on the unemployment benefit while he looks for work. He has had a few interviews but has had no luck getting a job close to home.

"Around Christmas and New Year, it's hard to make any ground with anything," he said.

To widen his options, Josh will this week start training to get his heavy-transport licence.

In the meantime, he has been working with his church on an anti-drug concert, and at home helping Toni with Elijah.

He has been blown away by the response from townsfolk to the family's appeal for help.

"We're just really overwhelmed and grateful for the response from the public and the compassion they've shown for my son."

The family are auctioning one of Elijah's paintings for charity.

Those wanting to support the Barretts can donate through a dedicated fundraising bank account: 03-1754-0503995-11