Publisher: Norfolk Daily News

Wayne family builds own home for handicapped son

By Amy Wilson – Special to the Daily News

WAYNE – Moving into a new home is an exciting time for almost every family. 

But for the Brian and Shannon Gibson family of Wayne, it’s especially exciting.

Sometime next month, the Gibsons are scheduled to move out of their current split-level home and into a new home specially designed to accommodate the physical needs of their son, 5-year old Jess Gibson. He was born with cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair.

It was made possible through a program called Homestead Homes of America, which has its corporate office in Wayne.

“As our son is growing older, we are becoming more aware of the importance of having an accessible home,” Mrs. Gibson said.

When she was pregnant, Mrs. Gibson went into premature labor at four months and ended up in Creighton University Hospital and on bed rest for 72 days.  Jess weighed only 4 pounds when he was born premature. As a result of what was described as “pre-term stress,” he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

Today, Jess is in preschool and is able to crawl on the floor, walk in a walker and move around quickly in an electric wheelchair.

“Jess is getting heavier and taller, so what used to be simple, everyday tasks are becoming difficult,” his mother said.  “Without help from his family, Jess is unable to get to the bathrooms or bedrooms on his own.”

That’s what prompted the search for a new home.

The family wanted to stay in Wayne because it’s a convenient location for the family. Brian Gibson works as the grounds superintendent at the Twin Creeks Golf Course in Pender. His wife is a behavioral interventionist at Norfolk Junior High School.

In addition to Jess, the Gibsons have two older daughters.

“Besides, the school system in Wayne has been great with Jess,” Mrs. Gibson said.

But their efforts to find a house that could be remodeled with Jess in mind proved unsuccessful.

Brian Gibson said he had heard about Homestead Homes of America, but didn’t know if that was an option. After contacting the Wayne office, a representative soon was telling the family they qualified for financing and showed them layouts of homes.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Mrs. Gibson said.  “This was too good to be true.”

After doing extensive research about how best to design a home with a handicapped person in mind, Homestead Homes worked with the family to modify existing plans.

An unusual aspect about Homestead Homes is that the company finances the construction and pays the subcontractor, requiring no payments from the prospective owners during the construction process.

Mrs. Gibson said that was important because they couldn’t have afforded to make payments on a new home and their existing home at the same time. They also started their project with less than $1,000 invested.

But there are other unusual aspects about the process, too.

“One of the things about this system is that I get to go out and choose my own subcontractors, look at their work and decide if this is the person I want for the job,” Brian Gibson said. “I get my own bids and know that this is my decision and this is the best person for my project.  I know I am saving thousands of dollars of fees and commissions by being my own contractor.”

But the program may not be for everyone.

“I have to admit, this has not been without hassles. The Homestead system is based on you being your own contractor, so finding subcontractors and getting bids can become stressful if you are not organized,” Mrs. Gibson said.  “But they helped our dream become a reality.”