DIY: SOS viewers in floods of tears as disabled mother left trapped in her bedroom says accessible home makeover will allow her to ‘be a mum again’
- Mandy McCreight, from Bangor, appeared on DIY SOS: The Big Build last night
- Read more: BBC confirms popular show will return with huge shake-up
Viewers of DIY SOS: The Big Build were left in floods of tears last night after a disabled mother was given a fully accessible house which she said would allow her to ‘be a mum again’.
Mandy McCreight, from Bangor, suffers from debilitating Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a group of conditions that affect connective tissue, which provides support in skin, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, internal organs and bones.
While Mandy suffers from the debilitating condition and uses a wheelchair, her husband Davy, 59, also has health complications including a back injury, while her children Ben and Kara have both inherited her Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.
She said her condition has meant she has been unable to be the mother she hoped she could be and called the condition ‘very lonely and isolating.’
Nick Knowles and his team of builders transformed the home in just nine days, widening corridors and installing a lift in order to make the property accessible for Mandy and her family.
Mandy said the renovation would ‘change everything’ in her life, explaining: ‘To be able to get into my house, move around my house, and be around the rest of the family. To be a mother and wife again…is amazing.’
Many of those watching the programme were left in floods of tears, with one commenting: ‘I bloody love DIY SOS. The build are always amazing, but the community spirit gets me, especially when they all come together at the end. I’m balling my eyes out here.’
Viewers of DIY SOS: The Big Build were left in floods of tears last night after disabled mother Mandy McCreight, from Bangor, was given a fully accessible house which she said would allow her to ‘be a mum again’
She was trapped in her bedroom but finally set free by the incredible home transformation (pictured, her bedroom before)
Nick Knowles and his team of builders transformed the home in just nine days, widening corridors and installing a lift in order to make the property accessible for Mandy and her family (pictured, the master bedroom after its transformation)
Despite her can-do attitude, Mandy struggled to move around the family home, which was not wheelchair accessible and featured dated decor
The mother-of-two was left in hysterics as the home was revealed, as she confessed it would transform family life
Another person wrote: ‘What an amazing job they all did on DIY SOS. So happy for Mandy and her family.’
A fourth commented: ‘DIY has me in tears, especially as it’s a local family. Fantastic!’
Another wrote: ‘DIYSOS tonight was a special one – 900 amazing guys and girls falling over themselves to help the McCreight family in Bangor, County Down renovate their home and family life.
‘No tears left after Mark Miller’s speech. So proud of our wee country.’
‘What an incredible job on DIYSOS tonight,’ another added.’ Great to see them reach NI. What a life changing impact for the family. Well done Nick Knowles and the construction community of NI.
‘Brought a tear to my eye. Amazing.’
Mandy first suffered symptoms in 2002, when she was pregnant with Ben, but said things ‘changed dramatically overnight’ during her second pregnancy with daughter Kara, 15.
She was dealing with crippling pain and chronic fatigue, explaining: ‘I was told this was normal and it would get better after she was born.
‘I believed that. But I couldn’t even push her pram. I knew then, it was unlikely I would get better.
‘It’s difficult enough to be a parent but when you’re physically unable to care for them, it’s a nightmare.’
She said her ‘biggest fear’ was that she could spend the rest of her life ‘stuck in the bedroom’ and compared her husband to ‘a single dad’.
Many of those watching confessed they were completed floored by the programme, with some saying they were left in floods of tears
The mother-of-two emotionally added: ‘I cannot be a mum in a different room from my family.’
Meanwhile Ben and Kara have both inherited her Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, and Mandy said she is terrified they too could need wheelchairs one day.
Mandy explained: ‘It was a shock. Somebody asked me, ‘Will Kara be in a wheelchair like you one day?’ and I said I hope and pray the answer is no, but with our medical condition I can’t honestly say that she won’t be.’
Despite her can-do attitude, Mandy struggled to move around the family home, with her wheelchair being too wide to get through doorways and too heavy to be carried upstairs.
Meanwhile the back of the property was also transformed, with the team removing old shrublands and weeds to create a space for the whole family to relax
WHAT IS EHLERS-DANLOS SYNDROME?
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is the name for a group of rare inherited conditions that affect connective tissue.
Connective tissues provide support in skin, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, internal organs and bones.
Symptoms can range from immobility to hypermobility, an increased amount of movement in joints, as well as fragile skin, frequent dislocation of joints, digestive problems and heart problems.
The different types of EDS are caused by faults in certain genes that make connective tissue weaker.
EDS can affect people in different ways. For some the condition is relatively mild, while for others their symptoms can be disabling. Some of the rare severe types can be life-threatening.
Source: NHS
The mother-of-two said her husband was ‘like a single father’ to the couple’s children Ben, 18, and Kara, 15 (pictured, the famil together ahead of the renovation)
Nick and his DIY SOS team were able to reconfigure the house to have appropriate bedrooms, a wet room and direct access for carers. Doors were widened and a lift installed to the first floor.
The team also provided special access to the garden to give Mandy independence.
However half way through the build, Mandy suffered an attack of particularly bad EDS symptoms and was rushed to hospital.
Speaking to Nick in hospital, she said she feared she would ‘have to go into a nursing home at some stage’ and said it would have been ‘heartbreaking.’
Meanwhile the mother-of-two confessed she ‘couldn’t wait’ to ‘be a mum again’ in her new home.
Compassion for the family bought the community together on the build, and they worked quickly to complete the project in less than two weeks.
Nick and his DIY SOS team visited the family in Bangor, Co Down, to help transform their home and improve their quality of life (pictured, the outside of the property before the renovation)
Nick and his team transformed the property in order for it to become more wheelchair accessible for Mandy, including widening hallways and doorframes
The team ripped out the old garage and built a state of the art kitchen into the area, with extra-wide spacing and a lower workspace for Mandy to join the family when cooking
The team cleverly designed areas that were wheelchair accessible for Mandy throughout the home, including a craft area where she could paint with her daughter Kara
The porch and front door were transformed to create a stylish and seamless reception area.
Meanwhile the old garage was turned into a bespoke kitchen diner, with lower work surfaces to help Mandy get back into cooking again.
Next door, in the former utility room, the team built a craft space for Kara where Mandy could join her in painting.
The life changing lift would provide Mandy with the independence she craves to access her children’s bedrooms, which have also been renovated in a contemporary style.
Meanwhile the state-of-the-art lift transformed the centre of the home for the couple, allowing Mandy to travel independently between floors
The parents were most emotional after seeing daughter Kara’s bedroom transformed into a trendy space for the young teenager, who has the same condition as her mother
The master bedroom has been decked out into a stunning modern room, with a specially adapted bed and a hoist to take the strain off Davy.
Meanwhile the overgrown garden has been levelled out to allow Mandy to spend time with her children outside without leaving the house.
The mother-of-two was left in hysterics as the home was revealed, saying: ‘It’s amazing. It’s absolutely amazing. Stunning.’
She broke down when she saw her daughter Kara’s room, explaining: ‘This is the one room I wanted to be special.
‘On the bad days I wanted her to have somewhere really special, somewhere that would make those days easier.’
Source: Read Full Article
