There were few dry eyes when five-year-old Noah Jancicka arrived home from a four-night camping trip Sunday afternoon.
Ferried in to his own backyard by a fire truck along with his parents Erik and Leah and younger brother Caleb, Noah's face was one of amazement as he saw the result of almost a full week of hard work.
The Jancicka's backyard is now the site of a brand-new treehouse, courtesy of Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Noah was recently diagnosed with Duchenne, a fatal form of muscular dystrophy that affects about one in every 3,500 boys as a result of a genetic mutation. Those with the particular strain aren't expected to live past their late teens or early 20s as their muscles – including heart and lungs – continue to deteriorate.
But it was all happy tears at the Jancicka's Pineview home Sunday as Noah explored his new pirate-themed, fully accessible, structure that features a large deck and interior playspace with bunkbeds, toy chest and bookshelf.
"There are no words to describe this," said Leah. "I know how much effort, I've seen it all – the hours and hours and days that have gone into this."
It took roughly 70 people volunteering time and materials to pull the project together.
Construction began June 23 with members of the Pineview fire department taking on the bulk of the labour.
"Everything has been donated. I had an amount I was allotted through Make-A-Wish Foundation and I have hardly touched that budget," said Shannon Stratton.
Stratton is a former Wish mother, whose late daughter had a chance to go to Disney World through the foundation five years ago. Noah's treehouse was her first project as a volunteer Wish granter.
"I finally was ready to give back to the foundation in a way that wouldn't be me crying all the time – something I could do on a positive note that would let me remember her and be able to give back to them what they gave to us," Stratton said. "We had an amazing last trip with my daughter. I knew how much that meant to my family – I wanted to be able to offer that back to everybody else."
It was the first experience with a volunteer build like Noah's for project manager Michael Windsor, who Stratton reached out to after he built her a coffee table earlier in the year.
For Windsor, the timing was perfect.
"I immediately thought of a young nephew who I lost a few years ago who would have graduated this year," Windsor said. "I know he had a wish granted – that was my first connection."
The process was at times overwhelming for Noah's grandfather, Joe.
"It just brings tears to my eyes," he said. "It's totally incredible... The community is just the best, gold-hearted people there is."
