A Pensacola woman whose life was upended by a health crisis is getting some of her independence back, thanks to a series of home modifications from a local nonprofit.
Deborah Allen became wheelchair-bound several years ago after being diagnosed with peripheral artery disease, which cut off blood flow to her legs. The diagnosis forced her to relearn basic daily tasks. “It was horrible,” Allen said. “I had to stand up on the cabinets and pull myself up, hold on with one hand and try to reach up in the cabinet to grab what I needed and flop back down in the chair. It was really, really difficult.”
Allen, who has always loved to cook, recently received a kitchen overhaul made possible by a Publix Charities donation through Pensacola Habitat for Humanity. The renovation has let her get back to preparing the Sunday dinners she enjoys making for her family after church.
The nonprofit also updated her bathroom and laundry room, installing a wall-mounted showerhead and grab bars that allow her to bathe and do household chores without assistance for the first time in years. “The grab bars is a life saver because they surround me so everywhere I reach is a grab bar,” Allen said.
Allen said she’s grateful for the resources available in the Pensacola community and hopes her story encourages others facing similar health struggles to seek help. “You can do this,” she said. “I did, and I thought it was going to be hard, but one step at a time, one minute at a time, one day at a time. There’s help out there.”