A photo is worth 1,000 words, but in the case of the community helping Kyle Frable and his family, a bunch of photos are worth $4,500.

That is the amount the Floor Source in Brodheadsville needs to cover the cost of materials and labor to install commercial grade sheet vinyl flooring in Collete Frable’s Kunkletown home so that her son Kyle’s wheelchair can easily maneuver over it.

Karena Thek, Kyle’s sister, and her mom, Collete, met with Jordon Green, owner of Floor Source, and Teresa Carroll, office manager, to share what happened to Kyle and asked for the store’s help to replace the flooring in Kyle’s bedroom. Green wanted to do even more, by also doing the hallway and living room.

Kyle was injured last Christmas Eve during a house fire he responded to as a Kunkletown volunteer firefighter. He was injured by a hose kickback, broke his pelvis in three areas with some internal bleeding. One of the blood clots in his pelvis moved into his lungs. He has brain damage. He is paralyzed from the waist down and undergoing therapy.

“He texts everyday and likes to Facetime. He has a sense of humor despite his injury and handicaps. He is excited to come home,” said Thek.

He is being discharged from Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital on Nov. 30 and there is much to do.

“Mom had a list. The physical therapist had a list. It was a busy workday,” Thek said.

The Frable family and other volunteers moved furniture and ripped up carpeting last Saturday to prepare for the installation next week. They also got rid of unneeded items.

Chelsea Salerno, who is Kyle’s niece and a fourth grade student at Pleasant Valley Intermediate School, came up with a tagging system for her and Collette - whom the grandkids call “Mem.”

“Mem and I tagged items with pink sticky notes to go in the garbage and ones with yellow sticky notes are going to the Kunkletown Thrift Store,” Salerno said.

Salerno said it feels good that Kyle is coming home next week.

“We’re going to install the flooring on Monday and Tuesday,” said Green. “This is phase 1 of a big project. I set a goal to get it done before the December holidays.”

The store donated $500, and an anonymous donor gave $500, bringing the amount needed down to $3,500. Derr Flooring, in Olyphant, gave Green a discount on the flooring as soon as he explained what happened to Kyle and the store’s goal to help the family.

For the fundraiser, Green said if someone took a picture out front of the store with its sign and posted it on social media, they would put $5 toward the project. It would have taken 700 photos to get there.

When the family met with Green, they filmed a video asking for the community’s help. As soon as it was posted to Facebook, word spread quickly. Members of the community stepped up by not only taking photos but also donating money.

“We had a couple people and businesses contact us. Someone gave us a check for over $2,000. We met our goal with big and small donations from the community,” said Green.

The community can continue to donate money for this fundraiser until Nov. 30. Although the $3,500 goal has been met, additional funds will help with Kyle’s needs and further renovations to the house.

“We cannot survive without the community, so thank you all so much,” said Thek in the video.

In addition to Floor Source, the family is thankful to T&T Drywall for replacing the ceiling and Casella Waste System for bringing in dumpsters and carrying items from the house.

Local fire departments continue their efforts to help Kyle and his family.

“Our fire department held several blood drives on his behalf, monetary donations are made in his name and there’s a quilt project under way,” said Brian Stankovich, fire chief.

Also, a Polk Township volunteer firefighter made yard signs that said “Prayers for Kyle Frable” with his photo on them and distributed the signs throughout the community to show support.

Frable remains on the prayer list in the weekly bulletin at St. Matthew’s UCC in Kunkletown, where he was seated in a pew during the Christmas Eve service when the fire whistle blew.

“That is the night his life changed. We are living one day at a time,” Thek said.

Make checks out to and mail to Kunkletown Volunteer Fire Company, P.O. Box 357, Kunkletown, PA 18058. Put Kyle Frable on the memo line.