A 93-year-old Jackson woman whose home was falling in around her can now hardly believe her eyes. New walls, a new roof, a new house is being built just for her. WLBT was contacted about Ms. Jessie Donaldson back in October. It may not look like much, but the shell of a house on Carol Drive is the start of something exciting for 93-year-old Jessie Donaldson.
"I used to have the worst looking house. Now I look like I'll have the best looking one," said Donaldson.
In October we met Donaldson in a house that was literally falling down all around her. Wood was rotting, rain seeped in from the roof and plumbing hardly worked in the bathroom.
"If a house could talk what would it say? Mine would say I'm running down top and bottom," said Donaldson.
When our story aired back in the fall, Shanehan Westphal who did not know the Donaldson family, wanted to help.
"She didn't have her hand out. She didn't have her hand out. She wasn't saying, 'hey, come help me.' But any time you got someone's house falling in on itself and you're living in there," said Westphal.
He contacted Mark Hardy, Donaldson's grandson-in-law, and together they have gathered donations and enlisted the help of volunteers to rebuild the dilapidated house.
450 square feet have been added to the house to allow Donaldson to get around in her wheel chair and walker. There's still much work to be done.
"We estimate we need at least 15,000 or 20,000 to finish the project. That's going to be for things like electrical supplies, things like plumbing. We know we'll need an air conditioner, a hood, a heater and those kind of things," said Hardy.
A target date has been set. Donaldson hopes to move into her new place by the end of May.
"She's strong lady, but it will be a lot better for her," said Westphal.
For a list of materials needed and how you can help go to www.jessiedonaldsonrestore.webs.com .
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