A place to call home

The simple task of taking a shower has been something that Samantha Nicholson has always needed help with because of her wheelchair.

Nicholson,18, has spina bifida, a neural tube defect that can cause damage to nerves and the spinal cord resulting in paralysis of the lower limbs.

Nicholson will soon be able to enjoy taking a shower and moving through her home with the help of Habitat for Humanity.

“Now that I will be able to get in there with my chair, it will be so much easier,” Nicholson said.

Nicholson’s new home is the 19th house built by Habitat for Humanity in Sedalia and the first one to include an attached carport.

Ron Cunningham, construction committee chairman, said this is a very special home.

“We wanted to build a home that just doesn’t accommodate Samantha, but is completely accessible for her,” Cunningham said.

Patty Hopkins, Nicholson’s  mother, said they are excited about the new house. “We have already started looking at shingles and siding,” Hopkins said.

About 20 volunteers from Whiteman Air Force Base, Sedalia Lions Club and the community started construction at 8 a.m. Saturday.

The new house at 210 E. Walnut St. will have three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

Tom Ragan, president of the Sedalia Lions Club, said the organization has donated money for the construction and is partnering with Habitat for Humanity during construction.

“This gives people a chance to give something to the community and it gives people a home to live in,” Ragan said.

The attached carport will provide Nicholson easy access into the home after she comes home from work at Ewing Vocational Center.

The house will also feature pocket doors that slide and are easier for Nicholson to use.

“She’s had to live in our world for all these years so we wanted to build her a little better world to live in,” Cunningham said.

Hopkins said she likes the location of the house and has started to meet her neighbors.

“Everyone seems really great,” Hopkins said.

Habitat for Humanity will begin construction on another home in Sedalia in a few weeks, Cunningham said.

They hope to have this house ready around April, weather permitting.