How Can You Help Paraplegic Man from New Jersey Rebuild His Home Destroyed By Hurricane Sandy?
Eric Katz is one of thousands of people whose life was turned upside down by Hurricane Sandy, but his story is definitely more unique than most.
Katz, 30, is a paraplegic from Toms River, New Jersey who finished building his custom-built dream home two weeks before Sandy destroyed it last fall. The house was a labor of love that had been under construction for four years at the time the hurricane hit.
After Sandy, Katz – who also creates prosthetic limbs -- gutted the house, with some help from family and friends.
Unfortunately, new flood maps don’t take into account wheelchairs, which is a dilemma because Katz will need to allow more space for ramps and has to figure out how he can live higher off the ground than he did before:
For every one inch of rise, you need 12 inches of run.”
None of the damages sustained by the house are covered by insurance, so Katz is turning to the public for help.
So far, only 3% of the money needed to help Katz has been raised, but here's hoping more people contribute. It'd be harder to find a more worthwhile cause.