AURORA | The one thing most people want when they turn 14 years old is independence.

At that age, people are developing their own opinions, interests and sense of self, and the last thing a young teen wants is their family cramping their style.

For Athena Ford, it was so much more than that.

She was limited in who she could have over to her house and how much of her own home she could access with her wheelchair in her family’s quaint 1950s home near Lowry.

“You built a future where I can chase my dreams,” Athena told the group who built an accessible extension to her home.

Athena is a spunky young lady with a powerful wit and a wicked sense of humor, particularly when joking with her family, especially about her bulldozer of a pup, Bentley, whom she loves dearly. She has Freeman-Shel

See Full Page