Help Me Build a Main Floor Bedroom for Téa – My Bar Mitzvah Project
Hi, my name is Ashton Berger, and I’m currently preparing for my Bar Mitzvah. This preparation includes doing something meaningful for tikkun olam — the Jewish value that means “repairing the world”. I’ve chosen to take on a very special project to help someone close to my heart. I’m raising money to build a main floor bedroom for Téa, a close family friend. Téa and I are the same age and she also just celebrated her Bat Mitzvah. Téa also has something called Rett Syndrome. You can read more about this here .
Rett Syndrome is a rare neurological disorder that affects movement, communication, and everyday tasks. When my friend was little, she was able to walk, play, and use her hands. Rett Syndrome has taken these abilities most of us don’t even think twice about, away. This means she now uses a wheelchair to get around. The ability to use her hands to hold a book, or a phone, or to write, brush her teeth, even feed and dress herself are gone. This also means she can’t get up the stairs to her bedroom by herself and her parents have to carry her.
She is now also unable to speak. She uses her eyes and eye-gaze technology to communicate, and she uses subtle body movements when she can. Téa is a strong, smart, and inspiring girl. We’ve been family friends since we were four years old and I’d like to do something to help her. As she’s growing up it’s getting harder and harder for her parents to carry her upstairs and downstairs every night and every morning. They love her deeply and do everything they can — but it’s exhausting and difficult for all of them.
That’s where I want to help.
With the help of our family friend James who has the knowledge and lots of experience with projects like this, I am dedicating my Bar Mitzvah tikkun olam effort to converting their family room into a safe, comfortable, and accessible bedroom on the main floor of their home so Téa doesn’t have to fight to get up stairs anymore. I won’t just be raising the money to cover costs of the project, I will also be helping James with as many aspects of the construction process as I can, and I’m sure I’ll also learn some new skills for myself along the way!
Your kind donations will help with the following:
- Construction materials to enclose the room (drywall, framing, paint, a door, etc.)
- Any safety and accessibility needs (like a ramp since the room is one step down)
- A wardrobe that will act as a closet and help store her equipment like standers, walkers, etc.
- Some decorative items to make it feel really special
I’m hoping we can even raise enough funds to put towards a lift or ramp in the garage to make it easier for Téa to get into the house as well. Any additional funds will be donated to Chai Lifeline, an amazing charity that supports children and parents who are facing life-threatening or life-long illness, and I’ve seen them help Téa’s family so much. You can read more about Chai Lifeline here .
This project is important to me because it’s not only about constructing a room — it’s about improving the life of Téa and her family. Each gift, no matter how big or small, brings us closer to being able to make her feel safe, nurtured, and at home.
Thank you for assisting me in living by the values of kindness, compassion, and tikkun olam. Your gift really will make a difference.
With appreciation,
Ashton
