The Objective
Cher has had both feet amputated and has suffered damage to her hands after developing Meningococcal Septicemia. Her condition means she currently lives in the living room which is the main downstairs area of her home in Flintshire. Cher now occupies this room 24/7, with her bed and wheelchair taking up a lot of the space in what is the main living area of the family home, and giving her no privacy.
Band of Builders made a range of adaptations to Cher’s home to ensure it was safe and wheelchair accessible, giving Cher more independence to enjoy her home and cook for her family again. It has also given them back their family living area.
75 Tradespeople
31 Days to Complete
£102,000 Delivery Value
2000 Labour Hours
75 Volunteers helped to completely transform Cher's home in 31 days
Background
Cher, 46, lives at home in Flintshire with her partner Mark, a plasterer. They have two children, Georgia, 22 and Ryan, 18.
In October 2020, Cher contracted Meningococcal Septicemia, a bacterial infection that enters the bloodstream, multiplies uncontrollably, and damages the walls of the blood vessels and organs. It can also lead to brain damage, skin damage, amputations and even death.
Having gone into septic shock, Cher’s family were told she only had a 20% chance of survival as her organs had started to shut down. However, after a long three-and-a-half month battle for her life, Cher pulled through but both her legs were amputated below the knee.
Her hands are also severely damaged; she no longer has feeling in them, although she does have limited use. She has visible scars from her infection which has left significant damage, as well as damage to various organs. Cher is due to be fitted for prosthetics but will still have limited usage due to the pressures it will put on her amputated limbs. Therefore, wheelchair use will still be a major part of her life going forward.
The Project
This has been Band of Builders’ biggest project to date and was completed in three phases.
Band of Builders aimed to help Cher and her family by increasing the size of their living area. Having expanded the current
extension, the team also added a new low-level kitchen, wet room and refitted Cher’s bedroom. By removing internal walls and widening doorways, together with ramped access outside, the team have made the family home wheelchair accessible which will also give Cher more independence.
A renovation on this scale would normally take up to four months, but the team from BoB completed the project in just 31
days. Cher was left speechless when the charity handed her home back for her to move back into.
An overjoyed Cher said: “I couldn't imagine how it was going to be - but this is absolutely incredible, and I can’t thank all of the volunteers enough for what they’ve done in giving me loads of living space. It’s been a real struggle, but Band of Builders has given me my freedom back and I can be happy again.”
All work was undertaken by volunteer tradespeople from across the country using materials donated by the construction sector.
For more information or for material or financial donations please contact projects@bandofbuilders.org