A 'Band of Builders' has come together to construct a life-changing house extension for a former Toomebridge builder struck down by a rare illness.
Kevin McGowan was a fit and healthy individual until falling ill with the rare condition progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in 2011.
It left the father-of-six bed-bound and requiring 24 hour care from his family.
Read more: 'Band of Builders' coming together to help one of their own
The Band of Builders charity heard about his predicament and put out a rallying call to help him by creating a sunroom and ramp to the back garden at his family home, so he could enjoy the outdoors.
Incredibly, the project was finished over just 10 days after tradesmen pitched in to help one of their own.
Kevin's wife Margaret, speaking to Belfast Live previously, said the offer of help was "like a blessing from above".
With work completed on the new extension, she said she was completely overwhelmed by the response.
“Words can’t explain how grateful we are for what Band of Builders has done –he can not only look out on the garden but can also go outside, thanks to the wheelchair access,” said Margaret.
“This is life-changing and makes a massive difference to his quality of life.”
“As a former builder himself, Kevin said that the quality of the work is first class and the team on site have been brilliant.
"And the finishing touches, such as the new monitoring system and CCTV, mean that I can check on Kevin from anywhere in the house.”
The build involved tradespeople from across Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK donating their time and resources to make it happen.
Marcus McGee, a County Tyrone builder, was the Project Lead and is a trustee of the charity.
It marks their first project in Northern Ireland and Marcus said it was a huge undertaking from very generous people.
“We had more than 60 volunteers, the vast majority of which were local tradespeople who gave up their holidays to work on this project,” he said.
“Word spread like wildfire on this, and we had so many offers of help from tradespeople, local companies that supplied materials and local businesses that supplied much-needed refreshments throughout and even food for the BBQ that was held to mark the end of the project.
“I’m very proud to be part of a charity that helps others from the construction community with life-changing projects.
"I’m also very proud that the construction industry in Northern Ireland came out in force to volunteer their time for one of their own.”
Local suppliers and businesses also donated the materials needed to complete the build.
READ NEXT:
- Call for healthcare staff working with homeless community to be exempt from parking fines
- Cost of living: Northern Ireland families only have £93 in disposable income per month
- Call for public support as Northern Irish A&E units under extreme pressure
- Co Tyrone cancer survivor spotted symptoms after same illness claimed life of his mum
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here. To sign up to our FREE newsletters, see here.
