Amarillo veteran facing knee surgery makes GoFundMe to help build entrance ramp

Brianna Maestas, Amarillo Globe-News
·5 min read
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An Amarillo veteran is seeking the community's assistance to help create a ramp for her home, allowing her easier access prior to an upcoming surgery.

Maria Hernandez, an Army veteran from Amarillo, started a GoFundMe to raise funds for the materials and construction of front porch and ramp, helping her with access to her home following an upcoming knee surgery.

Hernandez served for eight years in Afghanistan and Iraq as an EMT and X-Ray technician in field hospitals, where she sustained several injuries over the years. She was later medically discharged for various physical conditions in 2008.

Hernandez stated that currently, her knees are the recent cause for her lack of mobility and, per her doctor's advice, she is in need of knee replacements. Hernandez said that with the pain and little mobility she currently is able to withstand, she is looking to have her left knee replaced within the month of October.

Amarillo Army veteran Maria Hernandez is seeking community support with a GoFundMe to raise funds for the materials and construction of a ramp, which will help her access her home through the front door, following her upcoming knee surgery.
Amarillo Army veteran Maria Hernandez is seeking community support with a GoFundMe to raise funds for the materials and construction of a ramp, which will help her access her home through the front door, following her upcoming knee surgery.
Amarillo Army veteran Maria Hernandez served for eight years in Afghanistan and Iraq as an EMT and X-Ray technician in field hospitals, where she sustained several injuries over the years. She was later medically discharged for various physical conditions in 2008.
Amarillo Army veteran Maria Hernandez served for eight years in Afghanistan and Iraq as an EMT and X-Ray technician in field hospitals, where she sustained several injuries over the years. She was later medically discharged for various physical conditions in 2008.

"My mobility is an issue; it has always been an issue. When I first got here, the VA put a halt to my process on receiving my surgeries until this year. ... I did recently have surgery on my right knee, which we now know will need a replacement, and from all the stress I have been putting on my left (knee) trying to recover from my right, I can't wait much longer for this procedure," Hernandez said.

She said that it was initially her struggles with mobility that led her to move back to Amarillo in 2019, where her sister and family are now able to assist her. The veteran shared that she lives in a mobile home on her sister's property and that the front of the home has unstable stairs, which keep her from exiting through the front door.

Previously, Hernandez was granted the construction of both ramps for the home by Community Care, but the first ramp to be built was a ramp in the backyard of the home. She currently uses this ramp to exit the home, but it is secured by two gates that present an added task and an additional 10 minutes for her to navigate through each day.

"The ramp in the backyard is a quality ramp and it is secure and works, but my sister and I do struggle with it. And it is a bit of an ordeal for my sister to drive as close as possible to the gates, then move me into the wheelchair to push me up the ramp," Hernandez said. "I am bearing weight on my knees that I really shouldn't be using. I am using crutches, a wheelchair and a walker as best as I can. Really, my space isn't that big, but with my sister's help, we manage, and it is still such a struggle using the back door each day."

Amarillo Army veteran Maria Hernandez is seeking community support with a GoFundMe to raise funds for the materials and construction of a ramp, which will help her access her home through the front door, following her upcoming knee surgery.
Amarillo Army veteran Maria Hernandez is seeking community support with a GoFundMe to raise funds for the materials and construction of a ramp, which will help her access her home through the front door, following her upcoming knee surgery.
Amarillo Army veteran Maria Hernandez served for eight years in Afghanistan and Iraq as an EMT and X-Ray technician in field hospitals, where she sustained several injuries over the years. She was later medically discharged for various physical conditions in 2008.
Amarillo Army veteran Maria Hernandez served for eight years in Afghanistan and Iraq as an EMT and X-Ray technician in field hospitals, where she sustained several injuries over the years. She was later medically discharged for various physical conditions in 2008.

Hernandez said that following the installment of the first ramp, she has awaited the construction of the second since March of this year. However, the contractor for the project has said that the items have been backlogged until further notice.

Since the soldier has already reached out to several state and area organizations seeking assistance with the ramp to hopefully have the mobility aide created, or in the process, before the upcoming surgery, Hernandez said that she was feeling at a loss on what to do before several friends and her sister rallied around her and encouraged her to begin the GoFundMe fundraiser online.

Tirri Goodrich, a longtime friend, spoke about how Hernandez inspires her and is an asset to the Amarillo community as she works to provide art therapy to local veterans through ongoing programs.

"She is such a kind-hearted soul. She is always going on about her community, how much it means to her, and how much she wants to give back to local veterans and anyone seeking help. She is always talking about these veteran programs that she is working to create. She is such an asset to the community, and so willing to work through her pain. She never stops and is someone you want in the community. ... When she has a down day, it is torture to her. If the community could just know how much of a great person and fighter she is and how much she is willing to give, I think they would want to help her," Goodrich said.

Hernandez said she is most worried that she will not have the mobility to attend and volunteer for the upcoming veteran art therapy class. Hernandez shared her story of finding peace and comfort in expressing her self through art, and she works to be able to offer that for more veterans in Amarillo.

Amarillo Army veteran Maria Hernandez served for eight years in Afghanistan and Iraq as an EMT and X-Ray technician in field hospitals, where she sustained several injuries over the years. She was later medically discharged for various physical conditions in 2008.
Amarillo Army veteran Maria Hernandez served for eight years in Afghanistan and Iraq as an EMT and X-Ray technician in field hospitals, where she sustained several injuries over the years. She was later medically discharged for various physical conditions in 2008.

Hernandez said that her dream ramp wound include covering and a hand rail, and that a similar ramp was previously quoted to cost $20,000 including materials and labor for her home. However, she feels that her goal of $3,000 would suffice to give her a useable ramp for the front of her home while she recovers.

"I would love to have my dream porch built, but I'm just asking for the basic materials for the ramp. ... I didn't feel comfortable asking for more. I am hoping to receive some help; then I can scrape my savings together to build the ramp," Hernandez said.

The veteran currently has been able to raise $300 toward her goal. For more information about Hernandez's story or to make a donation, go to https://www.gofundme.com/f/disabled-veteran-build-a-porch-and-ramp .

In addition, Hernandez invites area veterans to their upcoming "Amarillo Warriors Heart for Art: Glass Blowing Workshop" to be held Dec. 9 from 10 a.m. to noon. Reservations can be made online at maria@creativets.org .

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo veteran creates GoFundMe for ramp prior to knee surgery