Dad thanks DIY SOS team for son's homecoming
The father of 17-year-old Dan from Lancashire thanked the BBC's DIY SOS team, which adapted the family home so the teenager could leave hospital after nearly three years.
A family in Freckleton, Lancashire, in north-west England, has thanked the team behind the BBC programme DIY SOS for rebuilding their home so that 17-year-old Dan could return after a long stay in hospital. The programme showing the transformation aired on BBC One on Tuesday.
Dan was left with complex disabilities after a life-saving operation to remove a brain tumour. He needs non-invasive ventilation at night, so the family home needed major adaptations before he could receive that treatment there.
His father, Nigel, told BBC Radio Lancashire the experience was humbling and a reminder that there are a lot of good people out there. He said that when life is turned upside down, you have to learn to live again.
Nearly three years in hospital
Dan spent almost three years at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital. He had been ready to go home long before that, but because the house was not wheelchair accessible, he had to stay on the ward.
His mother, Julie, lived at the hospital during this period, while Nigel stayed at home so he could keep working and make sure the family had enough money for basic needs. When things looked bleak, DIY SOS stepped in and carried out one of the most complex projects the team has ever undertaken.
