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BELTON, Mo. — Sharing a bathroom isn’t easy for any family. When you have two children with Spina Bifida, it’s even more of a challenge.

The Coots family’s main bathroom isn’t nearly wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair or even crutches. Plus climbing into the bath tub can be dangerous when you’re unsteady on your feet.

Jennifer Coots worries about the safety of both her kids — two-year-old Joseph and 17-year-old Jonathan.

Those concerns are exactly why the family was this year’s winner of Schloegel Design Remodel’s Big Splash Custom Bath Giveaway.

After three weeks of work gutting and renovating the Coots’ bathroom, the Belton family finally got to see their new bathroom.

“It’s so pretty,” Jennifer Coots said as the sliding door opened to reveal the brand new bathroom.

So what changed?

For starters the bathtub is gone. It’s been replaced with a shower that doesn’t require you to even lift your feet to walk inside. Perfect for someone on crutches.

Plus, there is a stylish teak shower seat that will fit both boys and is a lot more attractive than the plastic seats it replaced.

See the full transformation in the video player above. 

The old bathroom door is also history. It’s been transformed into a sliding door with a wider entryway – allowing more space inside.

A sleek looking toilet paper dispenser doubles as a grab bar, so does the towel rack. Both have been reinforced with blocking in the wall and cabinet.
Jennifer said it’s all so attractive, it’s almost deceiving.

“It doesn’t look accessible at all,” Jennifer said. “You wouldn’t realize there are all these safety features and accessibility features.
It’s going to really help the boys.”

Schloegel co-owner Chris Peterson said the Coots family was one of three metro families who benefited this year from the Big Splash Custom Bath Giveaway.
The other two families received smaller upgrades – a wider entry door and new shower – as part of what Peterson refers to as the ripple effect of the Big Splash.

“It’s so amazing and wonderful the way that this can change a family’s life and make life a little more easy for families that are already struggling,” said Jennifer as tears welled in her eyes.