Band of Builders biggest ever project will ”make a massive change to my life” says Connah’s Quay mum who had both legs amputated

 

A Connah’s Quay mum who lost both her legs to Meningococcal Septicaemia has said the work carried out at her home by the charity Band of Builders will bring a “massive change” to her life following the “big reveal” on Sunday.

Dozens of volunteers working for the construction charity have spent a month adapting Cher Little’s house in a huge project that has seen it become more accessible giving the mum of two more independence.

Cher, 46, fell ill on her birthday in October 2020, initially thinking she might be suffering from Covid.

She deteriorated over the following days until her husband, a plasterer, dialled 999 and she was rushed to hospital where she was put on life support.

Cher’s family were told she only had a 20% chance of pulling through as her organs had started to shut down but after a three-and-a-half month battle, the mum-of-two survived.

However, Cher was told she would need to have both legs amputated below the knee – an operation she underwent in February 2021.

When Cher came out of hospital her condition meant she was effectively trapped in the living room of the family home Connah’s Quay

Her bed and wheelchair were taking up much of the space in what was the main living area in the house.

After hearing about Cher’s situation, Band of Builders – a national charity run by tradespeople, for tradespeople stepped in to help the family to carry out their biggest project to date.

More than 70 contractors worked on the month-long project which has seen the size of the living area increased by knocking down and extending the current extension.

A new low-level kitchen and wet room have been added and Cher’s bedroom has been refitted.

Handover of the house took place on Sunday

Internal walls have been removed and doorways widened with ramped access outside making the home wheelchair accessible.

Local businesses have contributed including the Half Way House pub who put contractors up in accommodation.

Speaking to BBC Radio Wales this morning Cher said the house is “amazing, I don’t even recognise it, there’s that much of a transformation which has been done. It’s just unbelievable.”

“I can’t even picture how we used a look because there’s just that much space, It’s all opened up and everything is accessible to me.”

Going onto the house for the big reveal on Sunday, Cher said it was “very overwhelming, there was a lot of people, a lot of noise, it was brilliant but overwhelming.”

“The adaptations to the house will make a ”massive difference, just being able to access and have room to move around my home is going to make a massive change to my life.”

“I just want to sit back now and enjoy it all, to relax in my own home because I haven’t had a chance to do that and now I’m able to” Cher added.

Kevin Cox project manager at Band of Builders said Cher is “absolutely inspirational in her strength and determination to live a normal life again.”

“That was inspiration enough for everybody to jump on board.”