07/29/2025
John Hudson Dilgen, a Staten Island teen, suffers from epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a rare genetic condition that causes his skin to blister and tear at the slightest touch.
Daily life was filled with challenges and pain for John and his family, as even simple tasks became difficult or impossible in their old home.
The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation stepped in with an extraordinary solution: they built John a mortgage-free, wheelchair-accessible smart home designed specifically for his needs.
The home includes an elevator for accessing all three floors, a specialized driveway for nurses, smart systems for controlling lights and climate, a hydrotherapy bathtub to make bathing less excruciating, and a dedicated treatment room for his lengthy, painful bandage changes.
Every detail was designed for both comfort and accessibility, giving John new independence he never thought possible.
During an interview, when John's dad was asked if he sacrifices a lot for his son, he replied simply: "No, it is a privilege."
Receiving the keys just before Thanksgiving, John described the home as "a blessing" that has given him hope for the future.
Sometimes the most powerful medicine isn't found in hospitals, but in communities that refuse to let someone suffer alone.
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