The ramp for Burson was the 54th the Baptist Men have done so far this year. “It’s a mile walk but I love it!” Burson said as she walked around the ramp’s bend to get from the porch to the backyard.
MAN RAMP WALK CRACKED
Burson’s 12-year-old grandson, Devin Sanders, fell from the house’s staircase the week prior, sending him to the hospital with a cracked rib. The ramp is 52 feet long because the home’s exit is 52 inches off the ground, and code requires the ramp to decrease an inch in height with every foot it is long.
“It’s awesome, we’re from Nevada and we didn’t have anything like out there,” Burson said. The group of nine men, who each have long track records in various areas of construction, completed the ramp in under five hours - longer than normal because it had the curve multiple times to accommodate the length.
MAN RAMP WALK FOR FREE
She and her family wanted to be proactive about preparing her home for when her mobility begins to decline significantly.īurson heard from a neighbor, Jesse Jackson, about the Baptist Men’s work to build ramps for free for those in need, and reached out through a man named Marshall who works at the nearby dump.
Burson is in the early stages of rheumatoid arthritis, which is caused by the body’s immune system attacking joints and muscles, and said her doctor told her it will begin to worsen in the coming years. MARSTON - A local group with the North Carolina Baptist Men spent their Saturday morning building a ramp for a woman who is facing a future with worsening arthritis which will make climbing stairs a hazard.ĭebbie Burson and her family moved to Marston from outside Las Vegas, Nevada about 3 months ago. The Baptist Men all came from different areas of the country to end up in Richmond County and help local residents with limited mobility. Joe Walls drives nails into Burson’s ramp as Lacy Shepherd looks on.ĭennis Holloway sands a corner of Burson’s ramp. Joe Walls takes a break from putting the finishing touches on Debbie Burson’s new ramp to sign a Bible for her.īurson’s ramp had to be 52 feet long to meet code, and will soon be treated and have strips added to help them have grip as they walk down it. The Baptist Men pose with Debbie Burson and her family, along with Shane Ward, Shaun Sullivan and Jesse Whittaker with Lowe’s after completing Burson’s ramp on Saturday.ĭebbie Burson, second from left, clutches her Bible signed by all of the Baptist Men who worked on her ramp.ĭon Walker signs the Bible to be given to Debbie Burson as Dennis Holloway looks on.