The Nelsons were more than happy when three people started tearing apart the deck on their Austin home early Saturday morning.

Katie Nelson had even made cookies and bars for them and the others expected to show up.

The volunteers were renovating part of their deck to install a ramp for their daughter who needs wheelchair.

"My daughter's 7 years old. She's about 50 pounds. I can't lift her anymore," Katie Nelson said.

Katie and Kevin Nelson's daughter, Megan, is not able to walk or talk. She was diagnosed with two rare syndromes, Opitz trigonocephaly and agenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC), when she was a baby.

"To have them combined, she's about one in a billion," Katie Nelson said.

Having ACC means the part of the brain that connects the two hemispheres is missing, thus the right and left sides of the brain cannot communicate. Opitz trigonocephaly causes her head to be triangular shaped and also makes her more susceptible to other conditions such as acid reflux disease and seizures.

She takes three medications and receives much of her food through a feeding tube.

"She's very dependent on me," Katie Nelson said.

The Nelsons are finding their own support systems to depend on as well. Through a grant, they were able to get a wheel chair left for their van.

And Saturday, though the Southeastern Minnesota Center for Independent Living (SEMCIL), they were able to get the handicap-accessible ramp.

Sharon Taft, SEMCIL ramps project coordinator, receives requests for ramps at her office in Red Wing. With that request, she finds a service organization or group of volunteers to assist with the project to cut down cost. The money for materials comes from a state grant for independent living centers.

SEMCIL has been installing ramps in southeastern Minnesota for five years and already has installed four in Austin this year. Volunteer Bob Tingerthal, who has a construction background, makes sure the ramps are built to meet safety standards.

For one project this past winter, children at the Sheriff's Youth Ranch helped.

And now the newly formed Civitan Club is helping SEMCIL build ramps in Austin.

They built one last month and helped with the Nelsons' ramp Saturday.

"It was fun," said Barb Jagerson, a new member of Civitan. "We had a nice time. It was nice helping people in the community."

Amy Blakstad, head of the Austin Civitan Club, said the group, among other causes, works a lot to help people with disabilities so helping build ramps fits in with its mission.

By Saturday evening, the Nelsons had a ramp for their daughter. Taking Megan Nelson to doctor appointments and half-days of school at Southgate Elementary will now be easier.

"When we put (ramps) together, it kind of looks like a tinker toy, but it comes out looking like a million bucks," Taft said.

Cari Quam can be reached at 434-2235 or by e-mail at cari.quam@austindailyherald.com