If you pass by the home of Jim and Karen D’Anna, you’ll see a ramp leading up to their front door.
It’s a way of transportation, but to Jim and Karen, it is so much more.
Jim is a Vietnam veteran, and back in April his doctor told him he only had about six more months to live.
Karen said the news was heart-wrenching and recalled feeling broken “I cried, I broke down. I just don’t believe it. We were married 46 years Jim and I.”
Jim’s wife wanted to install a ramp to make things more accessible for him, but with a tight budget and limited resources it didn’t seem possible.
Karen turned to social media to spread the word and caught the attention of the Keystone Pinups, a group of about 40 women who volunteer to help local veterans.
Renee Kauruter, Co-founder of the group, said everyone dresses up like classic pin-up girls for fun, but also because the flashback fashion is intriguing.
“People notice us. They’re like, why are you dressed like that? What do you actually do?,” Kauruter said.
She added that the organization is all about networking and making life easier for those who served our country.
“Karen and Jim are amazing people they’re the cutest people. And it’s just the people we meet and the relationships we form. It’s the best thing about this,” Kauruter said.
Sergio Carmona, Executive Director for Blair County Community Action, said when heard about the project for Jim, it was a time to utilize local resources.
Carmona and the ‘Pinups’ were able to get Jim a motor scooter and build a ramp connected to a shaded porch.
The cost of it all was next to nothing, “nobody has asked for a penny back nobody has asked to be recognized for. It is all out of the goodness of peoples hearts,” Carmona said.
Karen said thanks to the group effort, Jim is able to enjoy fresh air and get around comfortably.
“Just, maybe a miracle that I can get him fixed up permanently but if I can’t, I’m going to make his last days comfortable,” Karen said.
