Emerald C’s Development, one of Northeast Florida’s premier commercial general contractors working in cooperation with Dreams Come True of Jacksonville, recently made the dreams of one brave little local girl come to life. Dreams Come True is the First Coast’s only locally-based dream-granting organization, dedicated to bringing hope and joy to every First Coast child battling a life-threatening illness. On Friday, August 26th, representatives from both organizations and project partners surprised 8-year-old Anna by presenting her with one of the most imaginative dream grants ever: a life-sized dollhouse.
“We were thrilled to be able to finally reveal this amazing design concept to Anna and her family,” said Brittany Culbreth, President, and Co-owner of Emerald C’s Development. “We and all of our partners put our hearts and souls into it, and to see her astonished, joyful reaction was priceless! We were delighted to be able to help support this incredible cause.”
Anna has been diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), an extremely rare degenerative nerve disorder that damages nerves in the arms and legs, causing pain, muscle weakness, decreased muscle size, and abnormalities in motor and sensory abilities. CMT affects everyday bodily movement and can be life-threatening. Anna’s ultimate dream has been to have a life-sized dollhouse to play in and Emerald C’s Development has had the great joy of helping make her dream come true.
Working with designers Sarah Rink and Natalie Milko of DesignCooperative, Lauri Lewallen of Armstrong Ceilings, and mission-minded community leader Madelen Salter, the Emerald C’s Development team renovated Anna’s existing playroom into a completely reconceptualized, life-sized dollhouse. The project took approximately 4 weeks to complete and included a fully-designed backyard with Shaw carpet that looks like grass, a trellis, and bench seating for gaming. Interior features include a play kitchen, nursery, and faux fireplace. Team members put special care into creative detailing throughout the project Friday’s event was attended by Emerald C’s Development and Dreams Come True team members, project donors, Anna’s family and friends, and other special guests.
