Patricia's Family Story

Patricia Dukes has lived in her St. Paul home for just over a year. She loves the quiet neighborhood and having space to host her large family, but she needs just one more thing to create an ideal living situation – a wheelchair ramp. After undergoing back surgery nearly a decade ago, Patricia experiences pain while walking. Though she is able to move around her home, Patricia needs a wheelchair to navigate sidewalks and the bus system. "Once we got the wheelchair in here, we couldn’t get it out," Patricia laughs. "That’s why I asked for a ramp."

With help from A Brush With Kindness and a wheelchair ramp, Patricia will regain her freedom and "get up and go," she explains. "Without a car, you can at least get in the chair and go. I can get on the bus. I don’t have to worry anymore about falling down or hurting myself."

As a mother of five, grandmother of sixteen, and great grandmother of nine, Patricia is a pillar of support for her family. Patricia originally moved to St. Paul to help her daughter and grandson when they relocated from Kansas City, Patricia’s hometown. "It was a new start," Patricia remembers.

When Patricia first moved, living in a small apartment made it difficult to host her family. "When you’re in a one room apartment with sixteen grandkids, it’s not very comfortable." Patricia laughs at how her family has made the new house a home. "They come and bug me all the time. They always want to see what’s cooking on the stove."

With a newly installed ramp, Patricia will be more comfortable in her home than ever. She looks forward to living independently in her neighborhood for a long time to come. "Till death do us part," she says with a smile.