She’s picked out the bathroom tiles and has plans for a meditation area with plants and a Buddha; but Danielle Kane is most looking forward to the pocket doors, extra-wide shower, and gradual entrance ramp that will make her new home accessible to her wheelchair.
The 32-year-old Danforth shooting victim is still recovering from the attack that left her paralyzed from the waist down, but she and her boyfriend Jerry Pinksen now have a positive distraction from the trauma they’ve endured—a new home that is currently being renovated to help Kane regain her independence.
“I have plentiful Pinterest boards with different ideas,” Kane told CTV News Toronto.
“I’m excited, but also nervous. I really want this to go well.”
Danforth shooting survivor Danielle Kane and her boyfriend Jerry Pinksen are in the process of renovating their new home to be wheelchair-accessible. (Natalie Johnson/CTV News Toronto)
The move to Oshawa was possible, in large part, thanks to donations Kane received through the Toronto Strong initiative and a GoFundMe campaign. The latter raised more than $200,000 for her recovery.
“It’s been incredible for us to find out just how expensive it is to live with a disability,” Kane said.
“Having this chance to point our roots down in a safe, calm, accessible environment, it just means the world to us,” said Pinksen, who was also on the Danforth the night a gunman opened fire in Toronto’s Greektown, injuring 13 people and killing two others.
“We can’t thank people enough.”
Danielle Kane is seen in this photo after waking up from a medically-induced coma. (GoFundMe.com)
Their renovation has involved moving support walls and widening entrances to accommodate Kane’s wheelchair. General contractor Frank McGillan has worked to solicit building material donations from Durham businesses that have helped make the renovation affordable.
“If you’re from Durham Region you know that we've got some big hearts out here,” McGillan said. “People out here are willing to help often.”
A fundraiser entitled “Durham Region Adopts Danielle Kane” is planned for Sept. 7 at the Annandale Golf and Curling Club.
The move to Oshawa will put Kane closer to her nursing school, where she hopes to resume studying in January. She says her medication is now at a more sustainable level and her pain is improving gradually.
“I’m just trying to be patient and wait for my body to heal and do what it needs to do,” she said.
Danielle Kane and her boyfriend, Jerry Pinksen, are seen in Niagara Falls on Sept. 13, 2018. (Tracy Tong/CTV News Toronto)
But she’s eager to regain her independence and not rely on Pinksen to do so much for her.
“I’m always concerned and worried about her, because I know she can’t freely move around, and I know it’s frustrating when you’re almost stuck in your own body,” Pinksen said.
“I just know that if Danielle’s more happy, more comfortable, that lifts a lot of stress of my shoulders.”
The couple hopes to move into their accessible house in September and begin a positive new chapter.
“A home is everything,” Kane said. “It’s your base.”
