21 hours ago
Decked Out WNY helps give a veteran his independence back
NORTH TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WIVB) — Decked Out WNY is helping honor our nation's heroes by donating a deck to a veteran every year.
'It should be done more, and I'm doing my small part, but it would be nice if more people did it,' said Pat Williams, owner of Decked Out WNY.
Williams said his family has a long history of military service and he's been motivated to give back.
Along with sponsors LENCO Supplies and Fiberon Decking — who help cover the costs of the materials — every year Decked Out WNY receives hundreds of nominations in October and announces the winner on Veterans Day. Then, in the spring or summer, they build the deck.
'I wish people would do this every day, and it's not done enough, they have done so much for us,' said Kevin Conklin of LENCO.
This year, out of hundreds of entries, the hero who was randomly selected is David Brenon of North Tonawanda. Brenon's family believes this comes at a perfect time.
'He'll be able to get in and out on his own. This is his freedom. He hasn't had much of that,' said Lori Brenon, David's wife. 'We were the ones that always gave, and now we're getting that back. It's just incredible.'
Lori Brenon said that David was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer last year, and he has a rare syndrome called paraneoplastic syndrome. It's a syndrome where his cells attack his body and nerves.
'It just hit slowly, and all of a sudden, bam, I was having a hard time walking and all of a sudden I can't walk,' said David Brenon.
David Brenon is now in a wheelchair, and there is no cure for the syndrome. Doctors say there is a treatment, but they don't know how long he will be in a wheelchair.
'Your nerves only heal 1/32 of an inch a day, and this stuff ate me alive for three months or longer. Even before I went into the hospital, it was affecting me,' said Brenon.
David was in the hospital when he found out his niece entered him into this drawing — and that he won.
'Uncle Dave has been the rock. He's been our person, not just for me but for all of my cousins (too),' said Heather Korte, David's niece who entered him into the contest.
'It was quite a surprise,' said Brenon. 'This is an awesome experience. They're wonderful people. The humbleness is there for it. In this crazy world we're in right now, a lot of people don't think about this stuff, but they should.'
Decked Out WNY is building the Brenons a ramp to their front door so David can get in and out of his home safely, and help get his independence back.
'This is going to give David the opportunity to get out on his own. If he wants to get outside, he's going to be able to do it on his own,' said Lori Brenon. 'We won't quit. We are not quitters and we're going to keep plugging along, and this is such a huge part of this.'
To find out more information about Decked Out WNY, visit its website here.
Hope Winter is a reporter and multimedia journalist who has been part of the News 4 team since 2021. See more of her work here.
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