The crew of staff members, faculty and students stand on the ramp just completed for co-worker LaShone Simmons’ house. Left to right, Chris Radcliff, Ken Lemons (husband of Susan Burns), LaShone Simmons, Bo Rider, Mike Anderson, Ryan Sherman, Shaivan Shivaprakash, Alex Rice, Fred Meyer.
After staff member LaShone Simmons’ husband suffered a stroke,
the School rallied to make their home wheelchair-ready.
The School of Civil and Environmental Engineering’s motto, “People are our priority, the world is our responsibility,” was put into play close to home recently when a member of the CEE family was in need of assistance.
LaShone Simmons’ husband Earnest suffered a stroke on Labor Day, and the couple learned he would be wheelchair-bound post-rehabilitation. That meant their house would need a ramp to be wheelchair accessible.
LaShone has worked as faculty support coordinator for CEE since May 2022 and is known among her colleagues for her sunny demeanor and problem-solving skills. She contaced a local Boy Scout troop, but they couldn’t complete the ramp quickly enough.
“Dr. Susan Burns asked if she could reach on my behalf out to our faculty and staff to see if they would volunteer their expertise and time to build a ramp,” said LaShone, “and, of course, I said, ‘Yes!’”
Burns, associate chair for finance and administration and Dwight H. Evans Professor, put out the call for faculty and staff volunteers to design and build the ramp as well as donations to pay for construction. A crew of faculty, staff and students quickly assembled.
Faculty members Fred Meyer and Ryan Sherman, IT director Mike Anderson, and fellow IT senior staff member Chris Radcliff volunteered to lead the effort to construct the ramp. Burns dubbed them the “Dream Team.”
Simmons said the ramp construction started with multiple after-hours preliminary meetings and trips to her home to measure, plan the basic design, and obtain the necessary materials.
“Because we did not know exactly when Earnest’s discharge date would be finalized, everyone worked on a very tight timeline to get the project planned and implemented within a week,” she said.
The work commenced at 7 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19 and continued in a second shift on Sunday, Oct. 20. Meyer designed the ramp layout and managed installation of the foundation; Meyer and Sherman oversaw the carpentry; and the “Dream Team” located all the necessary tools and brought them to the jobsite, Simmons said.
Lab and Facilities Coordinator Zachary Byrd worked with eight geosystems engineering students to install the posts Saturday, and three structural engineering and geosystems students worked a long day Sunday to construct the ramp under the watchful eyes of the crew leaders.
When Senior Facilities Manager Andy Udell arrived on site, he realized the light in the garage was not working, so he made a Home Depot run to purchase a replacement fixture. He installed it while the ramp posts were being set by the rest of the group.
“Many people made this project a reality,” LaShone emphasized. “Our CEE colleagues donated funds, brought food, and made other contributions.”
Lab and Facilities Coordinator Zachary Byrd, standing right, worked with eight geosystems engineering students to install the posts Saturday
Altogether, the CEE community donated more than $3,500 for the effort. After paying for the ramp materials, Simmons and her husband have nearly $3,000 to help defer Earnest’s medical expenses.
“I am grateful every day to work with amazing people in CEE. Our community’s generosity has been inspiring,” said Dr. Burns.
Karen & John Huff School Chair Don Webster said of the construction team’s work, “I am proud to work with colleagues who give generously of their time and resources to a colleague in need — it speaks highly of the generous spirit in our school. Thanks to the entire team for their efforts and to everyone who donated to the project as well.”
LaShone also expressed her gratitude to her coworkers several times during the two-day event.
“I am very honored that my colleagues and students wanted to construct this ramp for me and my family,” she said. “It is a real joy to work with and makes me proud to be a part of CEE at Georgia Tech.”