The southern Illawarra community has rallied for a severely disabled boy who finds endless joy – and much-needed pain relief – in his backyard pop-up pool.
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Problem was that pool didn’t have a fence – nor did Jack Podesta’s mother have the money to get one installed – and that’s where some kind-hearted locals stepped in.
“Jack has Down Syndrome, terminal heart, lung and kidney disease and he’s non-verbal and tube-fed,” Carol-lee said.
“Then three years ago he suffered a stroke and was left unable to use his left side, nor walk without support.
“Over time his spine and hips started to twist and he started to suffer a lot of aches and pains.
“That’s when I bought him a cheap pool from a supermarket and ever since I filled it up he’s been in it multiple times a day.
“He loves it – he can do things in that pool that he can’t do out of it, like somersaults, and it’s helped ease his aches and pains.”
The above-ground pool was inexpensive, however the fencing required by law was not. In NSW, all portable or inflatable pools above 30cm require a fence at least 1.2m high in addition to other safety measures.
“I should have known, I’ll admit I’m in the wrong, but so many people have these pools and they haven’t put up fences,” the Lake Illawarra mum said.
“A (Department of Housing) employee came round last Thursday and asked me to remove it, and I instantly drained it. I understood but as a single mum with a disabled child it made me want to just cry.
“But I thought I’d rather ask for help than pack the pool up and give up – so that’s what I did.”
That night Carol-lee put a call-out on a community social media page, to see if anyone could offer assistance.
The response was instant, and within days the fencing had been donated by a big-hearted individual, another kind gentleman named Arthur had offered his labour and local fencing installers, MF Install, also pitched in.
Working bees across the Australia Day long weekend saw a space cleared and leveled for the pool, and a fence erected.
By Thursday, Carol-lee had been given the green light to refill the pool by Shellharbour Council and was hoping to have it ready for Jack when he returned from his day at Peterborough School.
“Jack’s 35kg now so I can’t just take him to the beach as he’s getting too heavy for me to carry,” she said. “I can’t take him to public pools as he might go to the toilet in them.
“Now he has his own pool back, thanks to these wonderful people. It’s been such an uplifting and inspirational experience – and it just shows that it’s okay to ask for help.”
