Life Changing Gift: A Surprise for Local Man

The look on CJ DeGennaro’s face was priceless.

CJ, 31, suffers from cerebral palsy. On August 17, CJ received the gift of a Safe Step walk-in tub, but it was a complete surprise to CJ.

CJ had been nominated 110 times during the last two years to receive this tub by his friends, his family, his community. A crowd that worked hard to make this happen gathered in his driveway. As his family and friends and nominators stood around awaiting CJ’s return from breakfast at Christy’s diner, they anticipated his reaction.

Pop out comments from the crowd filled the summer air.

“He is going to be so surprised.” “He has no idea.” “I can’t wait to see his face.”

Shortly after 11 a.m. CJ arrived home and saw the crowd. He had a curious and excited look on his face, but when Derek Farley, Safe Step Cares spokesperson, told CJ that they were all there to see him receive his new walk-in tub his face turned to joy, relief, and gratefulness.

 

“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” CJ repeated over and over as his friends and family watched—some smiling and some crying tears of joy.

CJ admitted he had no idea that this surprise was in the works, but that he is thankful and looks forward to the first therapeutic dip in his new tub.

“I look forward to getting to relax my muscles,” he said. “They get very tight like knots.”

Previous to CJ receiving this tub, he was making trips to water therapy. It was hard for his father, Steve, 63, who works full-time to be able to get CJ to his appointments. He was often forced to find and pay for a ride for his son. As a single dad, Steve could not afford the one thing that would help CJ and offer him the therapeutic benefits he so badly needed.

CJ now has that chance. The tub was installed at CJ’s home on Saturday following the unveiling as his family and friends celebrated the donation with lunch at his home.

Steve said CJ was still in a state of shock and excitement hours after the surprise unveiling and installation.

“He keeps going back and forth into the bathroom,” Steve said.

CJ will have to wait 24 hours for the tub to be ready after installation, but he said he can’t wait to feel the benefits.

Safe Step Cares is a national program of giving for Safe Step Tub, a Nashville-based maker of walk-in tubs. Through Safe Step’s national program of giving, Safe Step Cares has donated nearly 60 tubs in six years to those in need. Safe Step Tub’s employees unanimously chose CJ to be a recipient.

Farley said everyone was in support of CJ getting his tub.

“This is going to be a magic moment in Ellwood City,” Farley said before the unveiling. “We are so excited to surprise him with a gift that will help him every day of his life.”

Safe Step Cares is no stranger to Ellwood City or Western Pennsylvania. They have donated here before. Noah Jones was the first Ellwood City recipient. His mom, Jaime, according to the DeGennaros actually had a pivotal role in CJ getting his tub. Steve said Jaime really made a push for CJ.

Jaime said that the Safe Step Tub donated to her son was life changing. He was diagnosed with at 19-months old with rheumatoid arthritis, a disease that on some days is debilitating to the young man.

“My son received a tub 2 years ago and is was a great day for us,” Jaime said. “I did what I could to make sure CJ got one too!”

Jaime said the tub that was donated to her family has been and will continue to be a blessing to her family especially since her daughter, Natalie, was also diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis on July 1 of this year.

Safe Step also made a donation of a tub to Mariah Aquino, well-known for being the face of Mariah’s Movers, an organization the young girl from Beaver Falls/Patterson Heights founded in order to bring awareness to juvenile arthritis (JA), an incurable disease she was diagnosed with at age 5.

For CJ and Steve, gratitude cannot be expressed enough.

“Thank you to everyone at Safe Step, to Jaime, and to everyone who nominated CJ,” Steve said. “Words just cannot describe it.”

CJ will soon be featured in his own Safe Step Cares video, but until then, click here to watch Noah’s video.