Lauren gave Ron a ride home from the hospital and then changed his life
When Uber driver Lauren Mulvihill gave 89-year- old Ron Dembner a ride home from the hospital and saw the condition of his house, she rallied a troop of caring neighbors who not only cleaned Ron’s house— they changed his life!
Pulling up in front of 89-yearold Army vet Ron Dembner’s house, Uber driver Lauren Mulvihill smiled. Having picked him up at the hospital, she’d been glad when he’d told her his chest pains had been a panic attack and not a heart condition. And when he’d asked her to walk him inside, she happily agreed. But as they entered the house, she gasped. There was trash everywhere, years of grime… Seeing the look on her face, Ron apologized. “I just physically can’t take care of the house anymore…it’s hard for me to bend over, much less clean,” he said. A widower, who’d outlived his two sons, it was just him and his beloved pup, King. Lauren gently suggested he contact a social service agency, but Ron shook his head nervously. “They’d take away my dog and put me in a nursing home,” he was convinced. Lauren’s heart ached, and as she climbed back into her car, the Rex, Georgia, single mom knew one thing for sure: I have to help him.
Rallying hearts
When she got home that night, Lauren posted the story on Facebook. Mr. Ron has
absolutely no one, she began, pleading for help. And just as she’d hoped, dozens of friends and strangers immediately offered to donate their elbow grease.
That Saturday, Ron watched in grateful amazement as Lauren and her troop of volunteers cleared clutter and scrubbed the fridge, oven, tub, sinks and floors.
“There’s a bad patch on the bathroom floor,” someone shouted. “Let’s fix it.”
“I think we’re going to need some paint for these walls,” another voice called out from the living room, and what started out as a one-day cleanup turned into a complete home makeover!
House filled with blessings
Over the next several weeks, food donations for Ron and his dog, cleaning supplies and helping hands arrived daily.
Carpenters installed a doggie door so Ron wouldn’t need to climb down treacherous basement stairs to let King outside.
A local plumber repaired Ron’s leaky water pipes. Another company installed new flooring. When a severe mold problem was discovered, a mold abatement company offered a free whole-house treatment.
“It’s so special when a community comes together to help one of its own,” Lauren beams. And the help will keep coming. Lauren has set up meal delivery and inhome health care for Ron. A dog walking service has signed on to help with King and most of the volunteers have promised to regularly visit and help Ron with chores. “I thought King and I were all alone in the world,” Ron says. “Turns out, we had a whole passel of great friends. God bless them all for everything.”
“It’s so special when a community comes together to help one of its own,” says Lauren