Accessibility is something able-bodied individuals don’t think about until they are face to face with someone in need.
When a Tennessee mechanic noticed one of his neighbors struggling daily to access their own home, he decided to help out and ended up changing a life.
Thomas Noticed Their Struggles
Thomas Mitchell works full time as a mechanic for his country school system, but still finds time to drive a bus whenever the county is in need. It was on the bus that he came across Verna Despain.
Whenever he drove the bus he observed Verna taking care of her daughter, whose childhood seizure disorder left her disabled and developmentally delayed.
RELATED: Bus Driver Follows Her Gut After Seeing Little Girl Wandering the Streets Alone—Those Instincts May Have Saved a Life
Verna could often be seen struggling to push her daughter Lydia up a makeshift aluminum ramp trying to get into their front door.
Thomas couldn’t bear to see Verna struggle this way day after day, so he decided to take matters into his own hands. He said: "There was just hardly any room for her to maneuver this wheelchair. It just didn’t seem right for somebody to have to struggle like that."
Pulling off the Surprise of a Lifetime
Thomas didn’t know how to build a ramp or whether or not he could even afford to. What he did know was that nothing was going to stop him from getting a real ramp for Verna.
He called his local Lowe’s hardware store and asked for the manager, David Adams. Thomas explained the situation, and Adams agreed to provide everything needed to build the ramp.
RELATED: Frightened Mom Gets on Bus With 3 Kids – Teen Driver Jumps Into Action After Learning the Reason
Now that he had the supplies, Thomas turned his attention to getting the manpower. He called up fellow mechanics Mike Green and Anthony Puckett, who both agreed to help.
Anthony also got his brother and his son to join their team of do-gooders and they were ready to get to work.
An Amazing Reception
Thomas was finally ready to get in touch with Verna and fill her in on his plans. She was amazed when she heard about his plans.
“After we got off the phone, I was so happy I was just crying happy tears," Verna recalled.
Thomas and his team built the permanent ramp for Verna and Lydia, but they didn’t stop there. They built a little deck out front so that Lydia, who loves being in nature, can sit outside during warmer months.
The county school system shared Thomas and Verna’s story on social media, where it went viral. Hundreds of people commented, and tens of thousands shared. The inspirational story reminds us all how important it is to be kind to your neighbor.
Thomas himself said it best: “Everybody should be helping out their neighbor, and so many people just drive by. So many people comment, you know, that it’s such a great thing. I challenge them to do the same. There’s no greater feeling.”
One good deed can impact the entire world.
