Community groups collaborate to ensure a cancer patient can celebrate the holidays at home with loved ones

Greece, New York – To help a father with cancer enjoy the holidays at home with his family and kids, local organizations are banding together.

Miguel Nieves, 32, of Geneva, has been receiving surgery at Unity Hospital for almost two months because he has a spinal cord tumor in his neck that prevents him from standing or walking by himself. He wants to spend Christmas at home with his family and their two small children.

Nieves remarked, “I’ve been wanting to go home and see my kids, my dog, and my mom.”

Nieves had no choice but to spend Christmas in a nursing facility due to the high expense of accessible equipment, until his physical therapist, Vanessa Ellsworth, and the Rochester Regional Health care team stepped in.

His dream is now being fulfilled by three accessibility organizations in the area. David Hebert works as an assistance technology professional for Numotion, a company that offers services and equipment to support people with limited mobility.

“With the collaboration with Liv Home Pros and Endless Highway and Numotion, we provided a loaner power chair, multi-power chair, so he can go home,” Hebert stated.

At the Golisano Restorative Neurology and Rehab Center at RRH, Hebert fitted Nieves with his new chair on Friday.

A loaner ramp will be installed at Nieves’ house on Monday by Liv Home Pros, an ADA remodeling contractor and supplier of home accessible equipment that Elijah and Luke Walters co-own.

To make it all possible, funding is being provided by Robert Tortorella’s Endless Highway group.

According to Tortorella, “This ramp can be designed and constructed in a day to give him safe access to his home.” “It’s really great that Dave has the appropriate equipment for free that Miguel can use to get home safely and be able to move around in this chair.”

After the holidays, Nieves does receive additional treatment, and he is incredibly appreciative of the help.

Regarding the three organizations and his RRH care team, Nieves remarked, “They’ve done a lot for me, they helped me raise my spirits.” “I can’t wait to go home.”