A Ramp to Freedom: A Holiday Blessing

Not many people can say that they live in a home with four generations of strong, smart women. Eunice does and is blessed to have the support and the comfort of her daughter, her granddaughter and her great grandchildren by her side every day. Their home is warm and lively, inviting and immaculate. Exactly the type of home you would be thrilled to be invited over for dinner.

As an infant, Eunice was afflicted by polio. Though she suffered complications from this disease throughout her life, Eunice not only survived but went on to raise a wonderful, loving family. She certainly looks much younger than her 81 years and has a sweet smile and a spry spirit about her that is with you long after you leave the room.

Eunice moved in with her daughter, Judy, this past July. Since then, getting in and out of the house - and even her chair - has become very challenging. In fact, during a recent trip to the emergency room - which took over seven hours - the trip up their front steps that night was almost as scary. Eunice had not been out of the house since - it had been almost a month. Judy knew she had to do something to help her mother.

As it happens, the Dallas Ramp Project built a ramp for one of Judy's neighbors so she knew exactly who to call - and she did. One Saturday morning a few weeks later, a group of capable builders from UT Southwestern Medical School came out to lend a helping hand alongside Peter and Bill, long time Dallas Ramp Project builders. Several hours later, the ramp was finished and ready to be used.

Eunice was looking forward to a holiday shopping trip that Sunday and we hope that she, and her family, enjoyed their outing and many, many more to come. Though her ramp is a little too big to fit under a tree, I don't think Eunice could ask for anything more this holiday season, thanks to the Dallas Ramp Project.

One Resourceful Client

Thomas M was raised with "old school" values. He was taught to respect your elders, treat others the way you would want to be treated and to do the right thing. He and his wife passed those solid, sound values on down to their five children who, in turn, are instilling these same values in their children. Thomas and his wife started a family and created a legacy.

All of that being said, Thomas is certainly not "old school" when it comes to technology. In fact, Thomas keeps up with one of his grandchildren who is attending college in North Carolina via his web cam. He emails regularly, pays all of his bills online and is the one that everyone comes to when their computers aren't working.

Thomas relies on his computer to help him do some of the things that he used to take for granted - like going to the bank. Thomas suffered a stroke in October, 2005 which severely affected his right side. Since then, Thomas has difficulty getting around. He gets dizzy when he stands up and can hardly get down the steps off of his front porch. He really can't rely on his manual wheelchair once he gets out of the house because he doesn't have the strength to maneuver himself around. Though he used to rely on Dallas' Dart Paratransit Services to take him to his doctor's appointments and to the grocery store, lately he feels more and more like a prisoner in his own home.

Determined to regain his mobility one way or another, Thomas successfully secured a motorized power wheel chair which would be custom built for his measurements. Not surprisingly, Thomas researched wheel chair ramps on the Internet. They were all too expensive. So, one day back in October, Thomas called 211 and asked if they knew of any organizations that built ramps free of charge. The operator had heard about the Dallas Ramp Project and gave him the number. Thomas called the Dallas Ramp Project and was told that there were 100 ramps to be built ahead of his. Though anxious to have it built, Thomas knew it would be worth the wait.

As it turns out, Thomas didn't have to wait too long. Just six weeks later and just two weeks before his new chair was due to arrive, Thomas got the call he was waiting for - the Dallas Ramp Project was going to set up a build at his home just one weekend shy of Christmas.

So, on an unusually warm and bright day in December an eager team from Grace Community Church, as well as two veteran and experienced builders, came out to build Thomas a ramp so that he can get out and enjoy life again. Thomas is looking forward to seeing movies, browsing at the mall, strolling through the park and seeing his family - all thanks to the Dallas Ramp Project.

A Brighter Holiday Season Thanks to the Dallas Ramp Project

Gloria H helped build fighter planes while her husband was in the Navy during World War II. It takes an especially sharp, disciplined type of person to do that sort of work. Gloria is exactly that sort of person: determined and dedicated, capable and courageous.

After the War, she kept the books for Sears for many years until she decided to focus on her family and raise her daughter Jackie. For over fifty years, Gloria kept her household up and running like a fine oiled machine. From cooking to cleaning to caring for her husband and his health conditions, Gloria was on top of it all.

Everything changed on July 4th when Gloria, 83, suffered an attack which brought on intense dementia and Alzheimer's. Overnight, Gloria became disabled to the point where she could no longer take care of herself. She now depends on others to help her with the most basic of tasks. Gloria has had to learn to use a walker and - even more difficult - to lean on others, specifically her caretakers as well as her loving husband, daughter and son-in-law to help her through her daily routine.

Now, getting out of the house gets more difficult by the day. Even with the help of others, the steps leading down from her front porch poses a formidable challenge. One day, Jackie mentioned the problem of these steps to the social worker from the hospice. Just a few short weeks later, a representative from the Dallas Ramp Project reached out to the "H" family and set up a build date.

On a sunny morning in December a group of eager volunteers from EDS along with Mac , a veteran ramp builder, came out to Gloria's house to build her a ramp. This ramp will allow Gloria and her husband to continue to be a part of the world they so embrace - to eat out, to visit their daughter and her husband, to attend church and to see the lights around their neighborhood this Christmas. Thanks to the Dallas Ramp Project, this holiday season will be a little bit brighter for the "H" family.