BOB APPEALS FOR HELP WITH PROJECT FOR NEWPORT STROKE VICTIM WHO IS A PRISONER IN HIS FRONT ROOM
Band of Builders is appealing for local tradespeople to rally round on a project to help a Newport stroke victim who has been a prisoner in his own front room for the last two years.
Keith Parry, 70, has only left his house three times in the last two years after suffering a severe stroke in late 2021. The joiner, from the Gaer, initially spent seven months in hospital and was only able to return home after his wife had a specialist bed and lifting equipment installed in the lounge of their home.
But he is left without any privacy or facilities and effectively lives under the stairs in his lounge, prompting the comparison by local healthcare professionals to fantasy character Harry Potter, who had to live in a cupboard under the stairs in the world-famous books.
The difficulty when it comes to accessing the home also means Keith struggles to leave the house apart from attending medical appointments – which usually involve help from two ambulance crews and the fire service.
Following an appeal from his wife Linda, BoB is now stepping in to help.
We are set to build a new ground-floor bedroom at Keith’s home and are currently recruiting volunteers from our UK-wide community of members and supporters.
The ambitious project, which is hoped to start in April or May 2024, is expected to take around four weeks and will require extra help, so we are appealing for plant workers, bricklayers, builders, roofers, plumbers, electricians, decorators and other tradespeople to volunteer their time to help on the project.
Operations Director Tony Steel said: “We’re gearing up for Keith’s project, and already a lot of members of our community up and down the UK have signed up to take part in the project… which is amazing.
“We’re hoping that a few local tradespeople will come and join the project as well – not only to provide much-needed help in the construction of the new bedroom but also to see what the Band of Builders community is all about in supporting fellow tradespeople who have hit hard times.”
Any local tradespeople or members of the construction industry in the South Wales area who would like to volunteer, please visit https://bandofbuilders.org/pages/keith-parrys-project.