A fresh coat of paint is the beginning of a new "safe haven" for one Plano teen.
Tyler Cole, 17, was diagnosed with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex as a baby.
TSC causes benign tumors to grow in many different organs. Tyler also suffers from epilepsy and has autistic tendencies.
Through the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s “Paint it Forward” program, however, Tyler’s room is getting a re-do to better support his needs.
“He can’t always come into our world. So he needs to have his world,” said his father Phillip Cole.
“It can be sensory overload for him in many situations,” added mother Maria.
The room is being repainted in aquamarine, a color soothing to patients on the autism spectrum.
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“We’re donating the labor, Sherwin Williams is donating the paint,” said Darrell Hale, owner of Fresh Coat Painters in Collin County. “It’s a really good feeling.”
Make-A-Wish will also provide sensory items for Tyler, including a new swing, his favorite pastime, equipped to hang from the ceiling.
“This is going to be amazing,” said Maria Cole. “He’s probably going to go for a swing first.”
The family says Make-A-Wish had originally approached them about a trip, but the Coles felt it would better serve Tyler to have a gift he could use every day.
