Kershaw man finds hope after accident

Laura Caskey
lcaskey@thelancasternews.com
KERSHAW – On Oct. 30, 2010, Dale Anderson of Kershaw left his home to hunt on his father’s land, hoping to kill his second buck there.
While on the venture, Anderson fell from his deer stand to the ground.
Anderson used his cell phone to call his brothers for help. They got to him not too long after he called.
The accident left Dale Anderson paralyzed from the waist down.
Once he rehabilitated and returned home, Anderson found it was difficult to complete everyday tasks.
Anderson’s home was a challenge for him to maneuver with his limited mobility. Simple tasks such as cooking, cleaning and bathing became difficult in a non-wheelchair accessible home.
Motivated by the need to help his brother, Mickey Anderson, owner of Anderson Construction, 174 Fox Run Road, Lancaster, got an idea.
“I realized that Dale couldn’t do the house by himself and I really wanted to help him. It started out with just bathroom renovations and changed into something different,” Mickey Anderson said.
Mickey Anderson contacted his plumber and friend of 15 years, Jamie Allen, to help with the project.
Hearing about Mickey Anderson’s plans, Russell Stephens, owner of M/R Fabrication in Alvord, Texas, joined and enlisted the help of Tommy Bowers.
Bowers is the pastor of The Christ and The Sword church. Bowers’ church and other local churches, including De Kalb Baptist of Kershaw, donated  money and supplies.
“The atmosphere was really great, and everyone was united for one cause,” Bowers said, “The Lord was really in this and we give him the credit. If more churches would take on projects like this, the people around us would hurt a lot less.”
Along with businesses like Norandex of Charlotte and Williams Electrical, individuals donated their time and supplies to the cause.
What began as renovations to a bathroom, turned into the addition of a new bedroom and complete renovation of the house.
Mickey Anderson also gives credit to Builder’s Supply of Lancaster, 501 S. French St., for being available during off hours.
“We reached a problem on the roof framing one Saturday and were at a standstill. Greg and Bubba Gregory opened the doors of Builder’s Supply for us on a Saturday so we could continue. There’s not many businesses that would do something like that for you,” Mickey Anderson said.
Women in the community, including Russell Stephens’ mother, provided meals for the volunteers.
Supplies and time were donated free of charge. Of the many businesses and individuals who contributed, none asked for compensation.
“It just goes to show you don’t need to be paid for everything you do and there’s still some good left in this world,” Mickey Anderson said. “For the entire project people were just like ‘what do you need and when do you need it?’ These people need to be recognized.”
The project was completed in 18 days and the home was completely renovated.
“You see that show Extreme Home Makeover, and that was really how it was,” Mickey Anderson said.
As a result of his brother’s efforts and caring members of the community, Dale Anderson is now able to maneuver in his renovated wheelchair-accessible home.
“My brother can’t thank people enough, and words can’t explain how appreciative I am to those who helped out,” Mickey Anderson said.

Surrounded by family and friends, Dale Anderson sees new changes to his renovated home for the first time.

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Contact reporter Laura Caskey at 283-1158.