ROSEVILLE, Mich. – Complete strangers joined forces to provide a 13-year-old girl with epilepsy safe access to her home.
Lola Reslow, who uses a wheelchair, received a professionally installed wheelchair ramp Saturday after a woman reached out to Mark Kramer about the Reslow family’s unsafe existing ramp.
The problem? Kramer is the regional vice president of Kearns Brothers, a roofing company.
“All I know, is the woman’s name is Lou,” he said.
The caller was familiar with our charitable work in the community and radio show, The Inside Outside Guys on WJR.
“And she said, ‘I believe you guys can figure this out,’” Kramer said.
Lola’s father, Dennis, floored by the kind gesture.
“It puts my faith back into humanity,” Dennis Reslow said. “A lot of times you think the worst of people and things, then when push comes to shove – people show up.”
The project gained momentum when National Ramp donated materials valued at up to $6,000. Kearns Brothers provided the installation expertise, replacing a deteriorating industrial ramp that posed safety concerns.
Kramer explained how the original ramp was “a disaster” with its steep incline, lack of handrails and degrading fiberglass surface.
The company, though not typically involved in accessibility modifications, took on the challenge.
Lola’s journey with mobility challenges began at age three when her parents noticed she kept falling. Doctors later diagnosed her with epilepsy.
The aid comes at a crucial time for the Reslow family. Last September, they lost Lola’s mother, Alison, to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), at age 36 years old. The children’s grandparents stepped in to support Dennis Reslow, who is now raising his children as a single father.
The project, from initial outreach to completion, took eight months.
“You want to help and that’s what she needed,” Kramer said, explaining his company’s decision to take on the unconventional project.
Dennis Reslow is committed to providing the best possible life for his children, inspired by his late wife’s memory.
“I’ll never fail my kids,” he said. “I will never – that’ll be the last thing I do on this planet is fail my kids.”