LUDINGTON, Mich. — A West Michigan man who suffered a traumatic brain injury is getting help from the community.
They are building him up by building him a home.
The white cedar for the door frame is being cut and put together for Joseph Riker’s brand-new log cabin.
“I have never received that type of generosity or been the recipient of it for that I could ever think of from anybody. And it's difficult for me to talk about it," Riker said.
In 2014, Riker was on his way home from work when his car was hit from behind on US 10 between Ludington and Scottville, which resulted in a traumatic brain injury.
"It left me with erratic movements, head movements and hands and my legs move and also it made it so I have to take a parkinsonism medicine," Riker said.
The injury impacted Riker's ability to work and in turn, pay the bills for his massive home on 40 acres of land.
“I eventually had to go to court to where I was foreclosed on, the judge told me I can't go back to that property ever, ever again. So, I had to go out and find a new place.”
What he found was this property on Manales Road in Fountain, Michigan with a run-down trailer on it.
“It shouldn't have been occupied by anybody, but I had no other place to go.”
Riker reached out to his friend and log cabin home business owner Daniel Ray Miller to help him reinforce the trailer’s structure.
“I just told him, I said Joe, it's not worth it. We need to do something else," Miller said.
Miller says he and a few others came up with a plan to build Riker a new one-story ADA-compliant home for free.
“So there's been a few of us that have donated some things. But yeah, most of it has been on me and Ivan Hershberger, to build it and to donate all our labor," Miller said.
Miller, a former member of the Amish community, says Riker has been a loyal friend to the community for decades, hauling oversized loads of prefab homes all over the country for them.
"When I first met Joe, he was probably 350 pounds and as strong as an ox. His biggest challenge was if we couldn't get a log moved, we would challenge him to move it for us. And he always did," Miller said.
Miller and his two sons started constructing Riker's log cabin at the end of September.
“I told them that I don't deserve it. And I cried like I have many times," Riker said.
But Miller disagrees. He says no one deserves this home more.
“If you see someone in need, give. Our world needs that today," Miller said.
“I can only say that if the situation were reversed, I would do the same for them," Riker said.
Construction is expected to be completed in about three more weeks.
“I feel extremely blessed to have the kind of friends that they're willing to sacrifice, put their lives and careers on hold to do something so nice for me. I'll be indebted forever to each and every one of them," Riker said.
After surviving two winters in this shabby trailer, Riker says it’ll take time to get used to having more space but it’s a gift he will always cherish.
Riker, who lives on disability payments, could still use some support. His friends have started a GoFundMe to help him pay utility bills and property taxes.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.