30 Year Police Veteran Seeks Assistance For Handicap Accessible Improvements

by Kevin
(Cherryville, NC, USA)

I am 55 years old and a retired 30+ year police officer. I spent 4 years in the Marines with a stint in Iwakuni, Japan.

I am married with 5 children and 2 stepchildren. My wife, Denise, and I have been married since 2005.

As a dedicated public servant, I retired in 2005 and went back to work for the same department until I lost my right leg in March 2009.

The few years since Denise and I have been married have been a roller coaster with periods of unemployment, the economic downturn and medical bills.

Early in my career, I had an automobile accident and broke my right lower leg.

Over a 30-year period I had 8 surgeries and developed an infection that ultimately resulted in a right below the knee amputation in March 2009.

I am officially disabled and drawing social security benefits.

During my amputation recovery period, it was difficult to move around the house. The doorways, bath, shower and kitchen area are not wheelchair or handicap accessible.

I am concerned about aging and having poor handicap accessibility in my home. On occasion I have fallen getting in or out of the shower.

The VA has been instrumental in providing prosthetic devices for my disability but there are times when I am unable to use the devices due to soreness, wounds or infection.

On two occasions I have had abscesses that needed to be drained. During the recovery period, I had to use crutches and could have benefited from use of a wheelchair.

When I retired from police work, I went back to work part-time to supplement my retirement. Since my amputation, I have not been able to return to work.

For about a year, I tried finding some type of work to supplement my income and my wife's but was unable to find anything. I drew unemployment for a few months.

Medical bills and general living expenses with the decreased economy have resulted in filing for bankruptcy (Chapter 13) to improve our disposable income. Little room is left for us to renovate the home to make it handicap accessible.

This is the first attempt for me to find some type of funding to properly renovate our lower level to accommodate a wheelchair or make it handicap accessible.

I have attempted to find work, but have been unable to find employment. Unemployment benefits were exhausted several months ago.

I am drawing Social Security benefits and disability retirement, but again cannot afford the needed renovations throughout the home.

I am looking for grant assistance to remodel the lower level of my home to make the doorways wheelchair accessible, the kitchen handicap and wheelchair accessible, and the bathroom handicap and wheelchair accessible.

Due to financial hardship and filing bankruptcy, I cannot make the money stretch to allow major renovations. Minor renovations have been done to the best of my and my wife's ability, both financially and artistically.

I would like to have some assistance financially and have help finding the appropriate renovations that best meet my needs yet be frugal in selections. Please consider my need for assistance.