Jacksonville woman in need getting handicapped-accessible tiny house

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville woman battling a life-threatening illness is getting life-changing help from a stranger.

“It’s not easy being upbeat in my position every day. It’s very hard, it’s very hard to get up with a happy face,” said Kimberly Dixon.

Life hasn’t been the easiest for Dixon. For more than half of her life, she’s been dealing with some kind of medical issue from lupus, blood clots, to infections. About nine years ago, she was diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension, a disease that can lead to heart failure if left untreated.

“It has done a number on me,” she said.

The diseases have crippled Dixon. She has a hard time walking, and she can barely use her hands.

“I have a hard time of doing everyday things,” Dixon says.

But one day she experienced, “This glimmer of hope.”

As she was watching a home makeover show on HGTV, she saw a man named Derik Harris from North Carolina building a tiny house. And for some reason, she felt compelled to call him, even though she knew nothing about this man or his work.

“And I’m like 'why don’t I call this guy, he seems pretty nice,'” she said.

So Dixon called him up.

“He said 'I could make it exactly the way that you would need it, and we could work on it together,'” she said.

Dixon said Harris, who knew nothing about her, was touched by her story, and wanted to help. The tiny house will be made just for Dixon, handicapped-accessible, with safety features.

“If I hadn’t got out of bed, it alerts my family. It can even tell them if I haven’t eaten,” she said.

It’s a small blessing that will make a big impact in Dixon’s life.

“He’s making it so that I can live whatever many days safely with my grandchildren, and make memories. That’s what he’s doing for me, and I’ve never met anyone like him,” she said.

To learn more about how you can help Dixon raise funds for her tiny house, visit this GoFundMe page.

Cox Media Group