When a grandfather in Milan, Tennessee decided to construct a “DIY” walker for his 3-year-old granddaughter with mobility issues, he turned to Lowe’s for help.
“He came to our customer service desk the other day and asked if he could have some help building a walker he found on the internet,” Milan store manager Stephanie Roemen said. “They are trying to build her leg strength so eventually they can put braces on her legs.”
The customer service desk referred the gentleman to plumbing specialist Felicia Etheridge, assuring him he would be in good hands.
He would later realize just how good.
“I’m almost like a small engineer sometimes,” Etheridge said with a laugh. “So they hollered at me.”
The grandfather explained the situation and showed Etheridge a walker for sale online. The price tag was $2,000.
“He said he just couldn’t afford that,” Etheridge said.
Etheridge told him she would locate the parts he needed and instructed him to return to the store in a couple hours to pick them up.
As soon as he left, Etheridge, “cut some pipe and went to work.”
When the grandfather returned, the custom-made walker was completed and waiting for him.
“I rolled it out and he was just floored,” Etheridge said. “It was an emotional moment.”
Roemen, the store manager, looked on proudly.
“Felicia took it upon herself to get the parts and make it for him,” Roemen said. “She took care of all of it. All he had to do was come back and take it home to his granddaughter.”
When told there would be no charge for the walker, the grandfather teared up. And with the money saved, he was able to purchase other essential items for his home.
He said he didn’t quite know how to thank his friends at Lowe’s.
“I said, ‘Don’t worry about it,’” Etheridge recalled. “‘This is what we do.’”
