He’s been through a lot of struggle – and we’re so grateful to have connected with him. Here’s Shane’s story…
“In 1997, I almost died in a car accident. Then in 2007, I had a serious work accident: falling 30 feet, I broke both legs and my back, had to have open-heart surgery, and every other month for four years had to have other surgeries.
“The next year, I lost my wife, just two months after our son was born.
“I was wheelchair-bound for six years and have had every tendon in my legs replaced, along with three – going on four – knee replacements. And while I still can’t bend at the waist, I can now walk about 15 feet with the help of a cane or walking stick.
“Myself, my son, and my daughter have lived in the house for 11 years, and I’ve done everything by myself the best I could.
“You go without sometimes; that’s just life – but you don’t complain when you have a roof over your head. My kids have had holes in their shoes and I’ve had to wait four months for a disability check just so that I could pay to get them new ones. But they never complained.
“I’ve been down to just $5 in my bank account, and I’ve had to choose between getting the leak in the roof fixed or me and my kids eating. But we got by with food from [local nonprofit] StreetWise, and I’d pay for what repairs I could.
“One day, I decided to search for help, and [when I found Home Repairs], I liked the things they had to say. I would read their stories every day, and that’s what got me through my day. The stories were so inspiring. I just saw how they were doing so much – but I wasn’t going to call.
“I’ve been told ‘no’ so much in life and have tried to get help before. My own family members say they’re too busy to help me. I’ve been denied insurance coverage for a new roof six times. But when I first found out about Home Repairs, something in me just said ‘just ask’. I called, and I was surprised at how quickly they were able to come out. And now, they’ve helped me more than anyone.
“Home Repairs has made a difference in my life in one big way in particular: Safety.
“The first day, Bill was there by himself, and it was quite cold. He had planned to be at my house until about 2 p.m., but due to complications with shipments, he ended up staying until dark. And he worked hard all by himself on that ramp.
“Before, I could barely make it up and down my driveway. I had to hold onto the house to get down, and when I came back, I had nothing to hold onto. I had to be really careful because I knew I could tear anything in my legs again. Now, not only can I go straight out my door, but I have a ramp that just flows down to the walkway with railings.
“Bill came back with a few other guys another day, and they worked together for about eight hours [in my bathroom].
“I hadn’t been showering because the door had been broken for two years. Because I can’t bend my legs, I used to slip and fall in the shower and off the toilet – I had to rely only on my upper body strength. I had a plastic handle that just stuck to the wall in the shower, and while it kind of did its job, I saw when they took it off that I could have gotten hurt pretty badly using it.
“They put in new shower doors, recaulked everything, and installed the grab bars. It’s made a big difference, being able to get in and out safely and not have to stand shoved up against the side of the shower. And the repairs look just like a part of the house; they did that good of a job. It was very professionally done, and I’m proud of it.
“They’re also working to help me get my roof replaced. I don’t know what these repairs would have cost out of pocket, but I didn’t have to worry about it. To see them working together, man, it’s crazy. Having them work on my house was wonderful.
“To those considering getting help from Home Repairs: The volunteers don’t have to do this stuff; they’re doing it on their own time. They’re willing to help, so be patient and kind to them. They’ve done everything they said they’d do for me and have made my life a little bit easier. They’re a godsend.
“To the volunteers who have worked on my home: I just want to thank you. You guys are doing something that’s just extraordinary.
“Something that’s little to others might be big to me – and little things help to make up for the big things. When you’ve had no help and then have people like you helping, it’s hard to know what to even say. But it’s nice knowing there are still kind people out there. I’m glad I met them.
“Not many people really want to help others, but these guys are doing something that’s just extraordinary. To have people like that still in this world is sort of shocking, and I’m glad I met them.”
