Single mom gets a new start with new home
MORGANTOWN, WV – Motherhood has required unrelenting perseverance for Danielle Walker. She’s the single mom of two sons, both of whom have conditions that need special care. Doctors diagnosed her oldest son with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, migraines and tumors in his right leg. Her youngest son is autistic, and would need several surgeries. As Walker and her sons unloaded their moving truck nearly six years ago after a move to West Virginia, a drive-by shooting happened in her neighborhood. Walker knew she wanted a better life for her sons.
Despite the challenges, Walker kept a positive attitude for her and her sons, whom she affectionately calls, "her kings."
A few years later, Walker got the break she’d been waiting for! Habitat for Humanity, the nonprofit that builds homes for families in need, chose her to be the recipient of a universal-designed home. The house would be compliant with the American Disabilities Act, allowing her sons more independence, particularly when one of them needs to use a wheelchair.
Construction on Walker’s home began in 2015 and was worked on during National Women Build Week. During the Habitat for Humanity campaign, roughly 17,000 women and families help build Habitat homes. Many of the families who are chosen are held together by mothers like Walker.
“I needed a way to be the type of parent that I always wanted to be,” Walker said as she fought back tears, standing in the home that would soon be hers.
She’ll become a homeowner this December, when construction on her Habitat house is slated to be complete. She and her two sons will move into a home that gives them the safety and independence they’ve always wanted.
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