KSHB 41 reporter Megan Abundis covers Kansas City, Missouri, including neighborhoods in the southern part of the city. She received this story idea from a south Kansas City police officer. Share your story idea with Megan.
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Kansas City, Missouri, police officers have made a life-changing difference for a 73-year-old community advocate.
The officers built a custom wheelchair ramp for Ms. Nina Whiteside-McCord after she lost both legs to arterial sclerosis.
Whiteside-McCord has spent years improving her south Kansas City neighborhood, often finding herself surrounded by officers.
"I'm accustomed to this. We just became friends," Whiteside-McCord said about having officers in her home.
The relationship began years ago when Ofc. David McKinzie first met Whiteside-McCord during his patrol at a community event.
"She came up, introduced herself and she said that I need to know her," McKinzie said.
Whiteside-McCord has created real change in her neighborhood around street safety, successfully advocating for curbs, sidewalks and speed bumps.
"If it needed to be done, I step up and do it," she said. "I'm not afraid to ask the questions and get the people to get it done."
McKinzie said Whiteside-McCord was right when she told him she was someone he needed to get to know.
Their bond, formed years ago, is now a lifelong connection. When Whiteside-McCord recently lost her legs, the officers didn't hesitate to help.
"Those are the stuffed animals they brought me to the hospital," she said.
And when they asked what she needed when she got home, Whiteside-McCord said they "came out with the tape measure."
Whiteside-McCord told the officers she needed a wheelchair ramp, and they delivered.
"She's a special person. I had friends and the means to do it," McKinzie said.
The officers crafted a custom ramp that matched her home's lilac trim.
"I said we might as well paint it since her house looks nice. She told me lilac; there's a million different lilacs," McKinzie said.
Whiteside-McCord said she's thankful for their handiwork.
"I couldn't think of a better group of young men to be a part of my life," she said.
Ofc. David Ferber witnessed her reaction to the completed project.
"She was totally blown away," Ferber said.
The officers said Whiteside-McCord helps them do their job better through her community involvement and positive influence.
"There's only one Nina in this city, and Nina, Ms. Nina, helped raise me," said Ofc. Will Edwards. "Even if we did something wrong, she had to get us back in line. It was a positive correction. This has been her forever."
Whiteside-McCord maintains her positive outlook despite her circumstances.
She is working on her recovery with a prosthetic and receives services from Ability KC.
"This ain't a disability, this is an ability that's brought me into lives of people I would have never met. No complaints here," she said.
Moving forward, she hopes the officers will continue to look out for fellow Kansas Citians.
"They are just kind. They are not just officers, they are humans," Whiteside-McCord said.
Whiteside-McCord was a realtor for 25 years before retiring in 2021. Her husband Edward passed away in 2021.
She has been involved in community service her entire life, starting as a Brownie and Girl Scout growing up on Chestnut and 36th Street.
"Volunteering is what I always did my whole life; this is nothing new to me," Whiteside-McCord said.
From her volunteer work to the officers', Ferber explained how the ramp project aligns with the department's community engagement mission.
"Our mission statement is to not only build but to rebuild the relationship between the citizens of Kansas City and the police department, so doing things like we did with Ms. Nina was just a prime example of what community engagement division does," Ferber said. "With us, we're the engagement side of the department, so we're out there in the community engaging with citizens and trying to listen to what they have concerns [about] that's going on in their neighborhood, what we can do as a department to come up with solutions to resolve those problems. ... Propping up community leaders helps to prevent crime."
Ferber said Whiteside-McCord is looking for additional help to add a ramp to get to her laundry room.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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