The Objective
In 2019, Raymond “Boots” Callaghan was diagnosed with a rare form of pulmonary fibrosis called NSIP – which had been caused by breathing in cement dust during a 40-year career as a bricklayer.
The father of six from Co Armagh in Northern Ireland was given two to three years to live. His consultant put him on a clinical drug trial, which has prolonged his life, but his condition has steadily been getting worse over the past year. Although he can walk, he is becoming more reliant on using a wheelchair and is also connected to oxygen round the clock.
He was recently rushed into hospital with pneumonia and, subsequently, he was in grave danger of having a cardiac arrest. Although it was touch and go for a few days, Boots beat the odds again (his consultant says he has the heart of a lion) and returned home but has been required to sleep in a hospital bed, which is in the family living room. Although there is a ground-floor toilet, it’s not an ideal situation for Boots and the rest of the family.
Background
Boots Callaghan is a devoted father who has worked hard as a bricklayer all his life to support his family and put them first. His children fondly say the 64-year-old used to leave the house at 5am and would return about 7pm for years (often driving a 150-mile round trip everyday), but he never missed their sports matches or school plays, and he was always home to read them a bedtime story and say goodnight.
His pulmonary fibrosis diagnosis was a complete fluke. In 2019, he went into hospital to have stents inserted following a cardiac incident, and a newly qualified radiologist who was doing an ultrasound on his heart noticed honeycombing on his lungs – which led to a diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis.
His consultant mentioned that there was a drug that was being used in the US but wasn’t readily available in the UK – however, Boots jumped at the chance to be part of a clinical trial of the drug. The odds were stacked against him, as only around 8% of people responded to that drug – but he was one of the lucky ones who did! Boots and the family know that the drug can’t reverse the damage, but it can slow it down, and it has given them extra precious years.
In the intervening years, Boots’ condition has slowly deteriorated. During a phone call in September 2024 to his respiratory team, they said he didn’t sound well and he was rushed into hospital with pneumonia. As his oxygen levels were at 65, he was at risk of
cardiac arrest so It’s usual for patients to be put on a ventilator (and when they have made sufficient recovery, the patient is then extubated so the lungs can kick in to take over from the machine), but Boots wasn’t fit enough to do that. The doctors used a non-invasive ventilator, but it meant his heart was working ten times harder to try and get him to breathe. It was a critical 48 hours but yet again Boots beat the odds – much to the amazement of his medical staff.
The Project
As it’s not ideal that Boots is living and sleeping in the lounge of his home, the family tried – and were unsuccessful at - securing funding through Southern Trust to turn the downstairs toilet into a wet room. The family recognise that even a tiny bit of extra space would really help Boots to shower and dress himself, especially as his sense of claustrophobia is also having a detrimental impact on his breathing.
Although Band of Builders initially went to visit Boots and discuss transforming the toilet into a wet room, it was very obvious that this would be a much bigger project. Therefore, this project will not only look to create a new wet room but will also extend the house to create a downstairs bedroom for Boots. The new extension will incorporate wheelchair access for Boots.
Get Involved!
To register your interest, please complete the form below or email projects@bandofbuilders.org
You can also support the project by making a donation through our donation page.
Key Dates:
The project will take place in January 2025.
Location:
Keady, Co Armagh
Trades Required:
Ground workers, brickies, roofers, plumbers, bathroom fitters, electricians, decorators and other tradespeople to volunteer their time to help on the project.
