Aanes Family – 2015 Brainerd Paul Mans Build
Heather Aanes and her two daughters’ Habitat for Humanity home was the 100th home built in memory of Paul Mans, one of the founders of Lakes Area Habitat for Humanity. Just one year ago, Heather’s MS progressed. In such a short time she went from walking to now being confined to a wheelchair. Though Heather suffers from paralyzing MS, she declines disability and opts to work full-time as a caseworker. Heather prefers to spend her life advocating for others-though she herself qualifies for federal assistance. Joint custody of her daughters results in no child support, and the financial struggles for this mother were not just close-to-home, they hit home. She lived in a non-handicap accessible home where Heather relied heavily on her daughters’ help. From her wheelchair, her living situation made using the bathroom or turning the stove off without burning her forearms a daily struggle. When their home was finished, her daughters began to cry as they walked into the handicap accessible bathroom. “Mom can use the bathroom now and we have a home where we can bake together in.”