EX-GATORS COACH’S BIG LOSS REALLY A BIG WIN
GAINESVILLE — Jim McElwain and his family didn’t have to accept the offer that became a punchline.
At first, they didn’t. They rejected a bid well below the $1.8 million they paid for their Gainesville home in 2015, when McElwain was entering his first season as the Gators’ coach instead of exiting his final one. The house they no longer needed wasn’t even officially on the market.
So here’s why the McElwains ultimately agreed to the $400,000 hit — the one that led to digs about taking another loss after a 22-12 run at Florida.
Because the family who made the offer has two disabled kids.
Because the home’s ramps, lift and wide hallways were perfect for a wheelchair.
Because the converted garage would make a great first apartment for a 20-yearold with limited mobility.
“Because the McElwains have a good heart,” said their real estate agent, Daurine Wehbe. “No one knows that. No one appreciates that.” The Staab family does. The Staabs first noticed something was wrong when Tyler was 7, and his right elbow started flaring out on his jump shot. When his dad tried to hold the elbow in, Tyler’s arm shook.
Tyler taught himself to write left-handed, but the problems spread to his other arm. After a battery of tests and trips to specialists, Tyler was diagnosed with dystonia — a neurological disorder that causes involuntary muscle contractions.
Around the time his younger sister, Samantha, turned 7, she began to show symptoms of dystonia, too. Her body twisted. Even sitting in a wheelchair became painful.
“We feel like they’re trapped in a cage.” said their father, Rick. “They both were, for lack of a better term, living a normal life with all their capabilities before the symptoms showed up.”
The symptoms haven’t disappeared. Tyler, now 20, needs a wheelchair and can’t use the left side of his body. Samantha, 17, has occasional trouble walking.
So the same features that made McElwain’s mansion a fit for a head football coach now work for the Staabs and their foundation, Tyler’s Hope for a Dystonia Cure. Donors at fundraisers can enjoy the bocce ball court and outdoor kitchen that formerly entertained players or boosters.
Said Rick Staab, “This solves everything.”