Volunteers Work To Rebuild Local Woman's Wheelchair, Make Home More Accessible

Green Country volunteers are making life a little easier for a Tulsa mother and her two sons who all use wheelchairs.

While volunteers measure and saw pieces of wood, Tulsa resident Cora Lee Bunch sits inside her North Tulsa home excited about all the work happening on her back patio.

“Hey, they hooking me up,” said Bunch. “I am just astounded. I am just happy, just happy. Thank you.”

Bunch has been in a wheelchair ever since surviving a stroke ten years ago.

“It's hard to be dependent on others,” she said.

It’s a challenging transition for a woman who spent most of her life caring for developmentally disabled adults.

“It's real tough to be on the flip side,” she stated.

Two of her sons are also in wheelchairs due to medical issues, but she never lets it get her down.

“Where there's life, there's hope,” she added.

And there's help in the group Rebuilding Together Tulsa, a volunteer group made up of QuikTrip employees.

“You can donate to charities and stuff, but it's a little different when you actually get to physically be there and see the impact you're making,” said Glynn Davis of Rebuilding Together Tulsa.

The volunteers are rebuilding Bunch’s wheelchair ramp; the old one just wasn't safe anymore.

But the work doesn't end there.

“I'm bumping into doors,” said Bunch.

Bunch’s house of 43 years is not wheelchair friendly. The doorways are a tight fit.

And because her house was not built with wheelchairs in mind, the group will be back in the coming weeks to make the small doorways bigger.

“It's gonna change my life tremendously. I'm very, very grateful,” said Bunch. “I'm ready to roll."

Rebuilding Together also wants to surprise Cora with a new wheelchair. They group set up an online fundraising account to make that possible.