By Garrett Pieratt

news@kykernel.com

Misty Hess, a UK alumna, was born with cerebral palsy. The disease has confined her to a wheelchair and made living in an ordinary home difficult, but a new wheelchair-friendly house is on the way.

Habitat for Humanity, a nondenominational Christian organization whose goal is to help families in need obtain affordable housing, has begun building Hess a home she will hopefully find more comfortable.

She moved to Lexington and earned a Master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from UK in 2007. Hess now works at the Bluegrass Community Technical College, helping to arrange tutoring for students with disabilities.

Hess’ house will be the Lexington Habitat’s first handicap accessible house, said Dana Stefaniak, Lexington Habitat Resource Development Director.

Building a house for someone confined to a wheelchair is very challenging, Stefaniak said. The house is more expensive than a normal house because it requires a lot of customized details, such as cabinets and appliances that are handicap accessible and “designed to create maximum mobility,” Stefaniak said.

In Hess’ current apartment, the floors are uneven and require her to “pop a wheelie” in her wheelchair in order to move between them, Hess said. The cabinets are also too high for her to reach from her chair and the new cabinets are much easier to use, she said.

A normal Habitat for Humanity house costs around $85,000, Stefaniak said, but this house will be more expensive because of these customizations. In order to raise money, the UK Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter, Panhellenic Council and Interfraternity Council are raising $42,000 to sponsor the project.

Students at the Habitat Campus Chapter are still raising around $15,000, a goal which Setfaniak is confident they will reach. .

Hess said the community response to the project has been great and that she is very enthusiastic about the experience.

“This has been a student intiative in every aspect,” she said.

The community’s response to this project has been amazing, Stefaniak said. She recalled when UK President Eli Capilouto visited the building site and remarked that a Lexington Habitat home is a cornerstone of strengthening the Lexington community.

The house is due to be finished by Dec. 14 and Misty said she will be moving in around Dec. 30.

Stefaniak encourages community members to donate by going to www.lexhabitat.org or calling 859-252-2224 ext. 123.