Three year old Elijah James has rachischisis, the most severe form of a congenital disorder known as spina bifida..

KNOXVILLE — Three year old Elijah James and his family will get the help they need from efforts between Rebuilding Together Knoxville and several construction companies.

Elijah has rachischisis, the most severe form of a congenital disorder known as spina bifida. Support has come from his family and friends who have been using social media to raise awareness about the disease.

Through their efforts, friends of the James family and neighbors from across East Tennessee contributed to the purchase of a highly specialized power wheelchair that allows Elijah to move throughout his home. Once the money for the chair was raised, the family knew they needed to invest in improvements and upgrades to their house to make it handicap-accessible.

“When we initially developed the Facebook page for Eli, we never imagined it would have more than 12,000 ‘likes,’ ” said Elijah’s mother, Dawn James. “Several months ago, some friends of ours launched a fundraising campaign for Eli to obtain a wheelchair. We never dreamed that so many people would share the video with friends and contribute to the purchase of the chair, which was $33,000.

“Now that he has the chair, we needed a way to make it work in our house. Thanks to Rebuilding Together Knoxville, that will happen.”

The renovation will transform two small bedrooms into an accessible bedroom and bathroom on the main floor and will add an additional bedroom and bathroom in the basement for Elijah’s older sister, Skylar. A wheelchair accessible ramp will be constructed from the driveway to the main floor. The total cost of the project is approximately $30,000.

Upgrades and changes to the James’ home will be done free of charge to the family. Participating construction and design companies are donating all materials and labor.

“Rebuilding Together Knoxville is an organization made up completely of volunteers, and we are honored to partner with the James family to make necessary upgrades for Eli to be able to live comfortably at home,” said Chris Bieger, president of the board of directors of Rebuilding Together Knoxville. “The James family story is one of many compelling needs in our community, and our organization works to find solutions for emergency home repairs and accessibility modifications for families.”

Multiple companies are participating in the effort and include:
• Messer Construction Co.
• McCarty Holsaple McCarty Architects & Interior Design
• Massey Electric Company
• Cherokee Millwright & Mechanical, Inc.
• Cook Bros. Construction
• E. Luke Greene Company, Inc.
• Bonitz Flooring Group, Inc.
• S&ME
• Harrison Construction Company
• Finish Point Trim and Millwork
• MHJ Quality Cleaning Services
• Corporate Quarters

The demolition and construction period is expected to last approximately two weeks.

For more information about Elijah James and his courageous journey, please visit the Elijah James Facebook page.