Mold leaves family's home unliveable

[Guest guest]

A soldier in need

Mold leaves family's home unliveable

The News Herald - Bay County,FL

By Donna Vavala

/ The News Herald

http://www.newsherald.com/headlines/article.display.php?a=1660

Last July, an improvised explosive device knocked Army Cpl.

Cabaniss unconscious for 15 to 20 minutes in Baghdad. In February, a

second blast knocked him out for nearly an hour. Cabaniss still is

undergoing physical and other therapy three times a week at

Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville, just south of where he is

stationed at Fort , Ky. He has tramatic brain injury, which

affects his short-term memory and balance and causes seizures.

Cabaniss cannot get around without a walker or take a shower alone.

Doctors have told him if his condition does not improve within the

next year, he likely will be permanently disabled. " His short-term

memory is so bad, he has to keep a notebook with him and write

everything down, " said 's wife, Deanna. " I go everywhere with

him and do everything for him. " Because will be unable to

complete his term of service with the Army, he is in the process of

applying for medical retirement. If all goes well, he should be

ready to return to Florida in the next month or two.

" He will go to the VA hospital in Tampa, " Deanna Cababiss said, " but

we don't want to move. Hopefully, he won't have to go there for very

long. "

Rented hazard

When Cabaniss was injured in February, his wife and their two

children, ages 9 and 10 months, left their Panama City Beach home

and secured base housing to be near him and take him to his medical

appointments at Vanderbilt Hospital, which is an hour from the base.

was relocated to Kentucky to get ready for deployment, and

his family planned to stay in Bay County until he returned.

To keep up with the mortgage payments at home after they moved to

Kentucky, Deanna rented the house, which was built in the 1940s or

1950s. But last month, the tenant moved out because the house had

become a health hazard.

" There was some storm damage after got deployed, but we

weren't able to repair it, " Deanna Cabaniss said. " We didn't notice

the shingles were gone on the roof over the master bedroom. When it

started leaking, we couldn't afford to have it repaired. "

The house has deteriorated seriously since then.

" There are several additions on the house, none of which meet code, "

said Adkins, who met the couple through his involvement with

the Patriot Guard Riders, a motorcycle group that helps veterans and

attends military funerals to protect families from war

protesters. " There's an open hole in the master bedroom ceiling. The

insulation is hanging. The roof has sagged, making the shingles sag

and making the roof a foot lower than it should be. There's black

mold there, too. "

Adkins, who owns an air-conditioning business in Walton County, went

over the house, noting all the repairs it needs and adding up the

cost.

" That house in uninhabitable, " he said. " will be handicapped

when he comes home, and he can't be in the house. Also, he will need

wider access to the bathroom with his walker; the fixtures need to

be moved and the tub replaced with a handicapped tub. That would

cost between $10,000 and $15,000. "

Not worth fixing

To replace the roof, repair the master bedroom ceiling, have

professionals get rid of the mold, remodel the bath and complete all

the other improvements to make the house habitable and handicap-

accessible, Adkins estimated it would cost between $60,000 and

$100,000. He doesn't think it's worth it.

" It needs to be torn down and rebuilt from the floor up, " Adkins

said. " We have $10,000 that's being offered by Soldiers' Angels.

They help soldiers coming in from active duty. I need to collect at

least $50,000 more. "

Adkins is so determined to help the Cabanisses that he has

videotaped the house damage, plans to get videos of the couple and

has helped them complete an application to present to the television

show " Extreme Makeover " with the hope of them being selected to have

a new house built.

Operation Homefront has been helping the couple pay their mortgage

payments in the meantime. Deanna Cabaniss said her husband's pay

rate will change when he retires and gets a disability rating.

" When gets out of the hospital, we will be without income for

two or three months until the retirement pay becomes effective, " she

said.

On top of all these worries, she fell and broke her ankle last week.

" I have to be on crutches and in a cast for six weeks, " she said.