mississippi-heroes

A Single Father Who Can't Get Home

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 21:28:28 GMT

William is a single dad, football coach, and hard worker facing hip replacement surgery on December 1st. He'll be released from the hospital on December 2nd or 3rd—to a home with no handrail and steps he can't climb. Without a ramp, he literally cannot get inside. His surgery is in 10 days.

Ramp for William Rawls – Laurel, Mississippi

William Rawls is a single father. He coaches his son's football team when he can. He loves the outdoors. He's a hard worker and a great provider. And on December 1st, 2025, he's having a complete hip replacement.

He'll spend one night in the hospital. Then he'll be released on December 2nd or 3rd—to a home he literally cannot enter.

The 50-60 inch drop from his door to the ground is currently navigated by makeshift steps with no handrail. William has already fallen. His girlfriend Lindsay, is terrified he'll fall again—this time fresh out of major surgery, unable to catch himself, unable to recover.

This is an emergency. William's surgery is on December 1st. Without a ramp, he has nowhere to go when he's discharged.

Lindsay has searched everywhere for help. She's called. She's asked. She's found nothing. William doesn't deserve this—to work hard, provide for his son, coach kids, love his community, and then face coming home from surgery with no safe way inside.

Mississippi Heroes is stepping in to build William's ramp before his surgery date. Because no one should leave the hospital wondering how they'll get into their own home. Because single dads who show up for their kids deserve to come home safely. Because 10 days is enough time to change everything.

When Everything Changed in an Instant

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 21:04:33 GMT

A veteran's wife paralyzed in a car accident.

Contractors took their money and left the ramp unfinished. Vonnette can't safely exit her home in case of emergency. The deck is built—we just need to complete the ramp that gives her independence and a way out.

A Ramp for Vonnette Stone – Hattiesburg, Mississippi

April 1, 2024, changed everything for the Stone family. A car hit them from behind, leaving Vonnette paralyzed from the waist down.

Richard immediately started making their home accessible. He hired contractors. Paid for renovations. They started the work—built the deck, framed the ramp—and then walked away without finishing.

Now Vonnette has a deck she can't access and no safe way to exit her home. In the event of a fire or emergency, she's trapped. The ramp that should connect her to the outside world sits incomplete, and the money they already spent is gone.

This is a veteran's family. Vonnette served her country. She deserves a home she can safely enter and exit.

The Stones aren't asking for charity—they've already invested their own resources. They just need someone to finish what was started. Mississippi Heroes is stepping in to complete this ramp and restore Vonnette's independence.

Good Days, Bad Days, and the Steps In Between

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 21:56:13 GMT

A veteran living with a progressive nerve disorder that's slowly stealing his ability to walk. Some days he uses a cane. Some days a walker. On his worst days, he's wheelchair-bound and completely trapped inside his home. A ramp would give Benjamin freedom on every kind of day.

Ramp for Benjamin Bennett – Brooklyn, Mississippi

Benjamin Bennett lives with CMT2A, an inherited and progressive nerve disorder that causes nerve damage and muscle loss. What makes this condition particularly challenging is its unpredictability.

Good days: He can stand and walk with leg braces and a cane or two. Steps are still difficult and dangerous—he trips and falls often.

Bad days: He needs carbon fiber braces and forearm crutches to get around.

Horrible days: He's wheelchair-bound. And when that happens, he can't leave or enter his house at all.

Benjamin is a veteran who served his country. Now he's asking for something simple: the ability to access his own home no matter what kind of day he's having.

The 40-inch height from ground to door makes his front entrance impossible to navigate safely. Even on his good days, stairs are a fall waiting to happen. On his worst days, he's completely trapped inside.

A ramp changes everything. It means Benjamin can walk up safely on the days he's mobile. It means he can roll out independently on the days he needs his wheelchair. It means he's never stuck—never dependent on whether today is a good day or a horrible one.

Mississippi Heroes is building Benjamin's ramp so he can live with dignity, independence, and freedom—regardless of what CMT2A throws at him.