Help for Uncle Oscar needed to stay in home of 40 years

At least three decades of a Detroit family lived in the home. Now, after 40 years, leaks and cracks have caused major damage to the roof, walls, and even the foundation. But the family is banding together hoping you can lend a hand.

Oscar Edwards was born mentally disabled and the house is the only one he's ever known. For Faatima Evans, moving just isn't an option.

"It's all he knows. There is no where else my uncle has lived."

Evans says 66-year-old Oscar has the mental capacity of a child and depends on the comfort of his childhood home on Petoskey in Detroit. He grew up there and lived with his brothers at the home until last year when they passed away.

"When our uncles passed away, he refused to go. He wasn't leaving the house, period," Evans said.

While he may not want to leave the house, may not get a choice. Last summer's record rains caused major flooding throughout the house. It was so bad, Edwards' nephew and caretaker, Solomon Bryant, was concerned the state would remove Oscar.

"The first thing I thought about was my uncle," Solomon said. "I didn't want them to take him or anything like that. I want to take care of him."

As luck would have it, most of the damage was in Oscar's room; the one he had for almost his entire life. It's being gutted to the studs and now will have to be redone from the ceiling to the floor.

The damage was overwhelming. Evans finally got inside and found the roof was caved in and holes in the ceiling. But it wasn't all because of the flood. The home needed new plumbing and wiring plus the porch and stairs were too dangerous to walk on.

She knew she had to ask for help.

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Help for Uncle Oscar needed to stay in home of 40 years