- Video shows Kimmie Garrett and her parents, SharRonnie and John, as they explain the obstacles they face with their current home.
- Back in 2024, Kimmie faced a series of medical complications after an intense battle with Influenza A. She now lives without her hands or legs.
- Salena Taylor (Partial to Girls) and Chrissy Siders (TRUE Community Credit Union) have heard Kimmie's story, and have stepped up to help.
- Click here to see the campaign through Habitat for Humanity's website.
Since Kimmie Garrett's tumultuous battle with Influenza A, last year, life has looked a bit different for this Jackson 10-year-old. "I feed myself and brush my teeth and balance on my knees," explains Garrett. When life looks a bit different, new challenges emerge. Kimmie's parents, John and SharRonnie, say their current house is 100 years old and doesn't meet Kimmie's needs. They say the house often floods, has mold, limited space, and one bathroom that's up a set of stairs. SharRonnie further explains that Kimmie's power chair does not fit in the door, so it stays in the garage, and Kimmie typically gets around by scooting on the floor. "When she sees the kids going upstairs to play, of course, she wants to join, but because of the stairs, she can't get right up to join," says SharRonnie.
WATCH: Meeting Kimmie, back in June
John says, "The counter. There's no leg space for her, and Kimmie loves the kitchen. She loves to help cook. She loves to help clean up. She still wants to do that; this house doesn't have the space."
Kimmie's story has touched many, like Salena Taylor. She says, "I thought, what can we do, all together, as a community to help Kimmie?" The answer, is an incredible and seismic gesture. "They knew they needed a home for her," continues Salena.
Taylor reached out to TRUE Community Credit Union to partner on this project, which has led to a crowdfunding campaign, driven through Habitat for Humanity, to build Kimmie a new home.
WATCH: TRUE CCU President & CEO, Chrissy Siders, shares more about this partnership
It's a gift that John and SharRonnie are still trying to grasp. "I cry all the time," says SharRonnie. "I don't know if it's, so much, joy, it's more unbelievable. - It's surreal at times, but more than anything, just thankful," adds John. "It's hurt. It's joy. It's so much in one. It's still hard to believe," SharRonnie continues.
As for Kimmie, a new house means something exciting, a new room all to herself, with purple walls and a fridge full of juice boxes. "I feel very excited and very happy...and very proud," says Kimmie.
WATCH: Kimmie gets her new prosthetics
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