Band of Builders set to build dream cabin for teenager suffering from cystic fibrosis

A teenager suffering from Cystic Fibrosis will finally get a much-needed haven as a group of volunteer builders prepare to build him a dream cabin at his home.

Kyle Sisson, 15, was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis when he was just three days old.

Since then the teenager, from Hereford, has been on medication and in and out of hospital for most of his life, preventing him from leading a normal life.

Kyle, whose father is a steel erector, has no immune system so is vulnerable to chest infections which in turn have affected his lung function, as well as suffering from CF-related diabetes and his pancreas doesn’t function. He has to undergo an extensive medication regime including a nebuliser three times a day and daily physiotherapy.

Kyle’s condition has also taken its toll mentally on him, leaving him unable to go to school or socialise with friends away from school. Over the last 12 months the longest amount of time he has been out of hospital is just five weeks. The situation has meant at just 15 Kyle has been diagnosed with clinical depression.

But the teen is now set to get a dream haven that may help him lead more of a normal life in the form of a cabin where he can be home-schooled and which can provide much-needed space to socialise with friends.

Volunteers from Band of Builders, a charity that helps tradespeople in their hour of need, will descend on Kyle’s home in Hereford to build the cabin.

Around 22 members of the charity will spend a week on the DIY SOS-style project, arriving on Saturday, October 26 and handing it over to the family in a ‘reveal’ the following Sunday.

The project will provide much-needed relief for Kyle and his family, who have all suffered from the strain of the past 15 years. Kyle’s mum Debbie has suffered two strokes through the stress and worries of family life while his dad also has severe arthritis and is now on light duties as a steel erector.

Debbie said: “We’ve tried to get him out with his mates, he’d go up to the ball court because he can play basketball for about a minute before he gets out of breath then he feels embarrassed.

“He’s fainted twice in front of his friends, the last time was with a group of girls – we had a phone call to go and pick him up because his lips were turning blue, he just looked at me and said, ‘Mum, get me out of here’. We got him to the car and he burst out crying. He hasn’t been out since.

“This is what this project is about; it’s about bringing his friends to him.”

Work will include: creating a cabin for Kyle which will be his safe haven to enjoy with friends and family, including making it fully-functioning and decorating it to provide an oasis of calm that Kyle needs.

Gavin Crane, trustee at Band of Builders, said: “Kyle’s condition means he just can’t lead the life of a ‘normal’ teenager. Building this cabin for him will give him much-needed space where he can be home-schooled in a safe environment but also somewhere where he can have his friends over and enjoy what all teenagers like doing – spending time with their mates.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS
1. Media are invited to attend the first day of the project at Kyle’s home in Hereford. The project will take place from Saturday, October 26 for a week. For more details or to arrange interviews, either on site or over the phone, please contact Ellen Manning from Band of Builders on 07515 717173 ellenmanning@bandofbuilders.com
2. Attached is an image for media use of Kyle and his parents, Debbie and ……

ABOUT BAND OF BUILDERS

Band of Builders was formed in 2016 after landscaper Addam Smith asked for help to renovate the garden of his friend and employee Keith Ellick, who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Keith lost his battle with cancer in 2017 but Band of Builders continued with the aim of helping other members of the UK construction industry battling illness or injury. Band of Builders was declared a registered charity (Charity Number 1182283) on March 1, 2019.

Previous projects have included:
● Installing a specialised bathroom for Pippa Atkinson, an electrician’s daughter suffering from a rare skin condition
● Landscaping a garden for builder Jamie Thompson, who is suffering from Motor Neurone Disease, so he can safely watch his children play, as well as installing a new kitchen.
● Finishing renovations at the home of Elaine Dunphy, whose husband Steve died of cancer before he could finish the work he had started.
● Creating a bedroom for plasterer’s daughter Sadie Jenkins, who had spent the first half of her life in hospital and needed machines to breathe, as well as installing a downstairs bathroom for her carers.
● Installing a summer-house and landscaping the garden for carpenter Dan McIntosh, who was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour, so he could spend precious time with his family.

For more information on how to become a member or how to apply for help from Band of Builders, visit www.bandofbuilders.org