Dale and Katie Johnson

Dale and Katie Johnson are partnering with Lakes Area Habitat for Humanity to build SAFETY, SECURITY AND SELF-RELIANCE.

We now have hope and are looking forward to our future as Habitat for Humanity homeowners.”

Like any good parents, Dale and Katie want their son to be happy and safe. The Brainerd couple and their 17-year old son Anthony, who has been disabled since birth, are eager to build their fully handicap accessible Habitat home which will be a boon to both Katie and Anthony.

“We live in a two-story home and I can’t walk up and down stairs,” Katie said. “And it’s very, very small. Anthony’s wheelchair is too small for him but we can’t have it extended bigger because then it won’t fit through the doorway. Absolutely nothing is handicap accessible in our home and that’s the hardest part” says Katie.

It’s not just a challenge managing their son’s needs, it’s also a challenge for Katie who has had four heart attacks and had 16 stents and was diagnosed with both diabetes and lupus.

Katie’s nephew, Tyler, also lives with them and serves as Anthony’s personal care assistant along with Dale.

Dale and Katie are excited about their Habitat home and the one-level living it will provide. Right now, their bedroom is on the second floor so Katie crawls up the stairs to reach that bedroom. And, with Anthony needing 24-hour care, the stairs separate Anthony from his personal care assistants. In addition, it’s unsafe transferring Anthony into the bathroom – a task that requires two people but the bathroom is only big enough for one person.

Dale and Katie are devoted to their son and want for him to have a safe, warm and secure home. As Katie says, “We now have hope and are looking forward to our future as Habitat for Humanity homeowners.”

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