A JOINER says he was proud to be able to lend a hand in helping transform the home and life of a young Bidford woman.
Darren Webb volunteered his services to help the BBC One series DIY SOS make Chloe Print-Lambert’s house more accessible to her.
The 22 year-old suffers from chronic conditions Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and Mastocytosis which have left her needing constant access to oxygen, to be fed through a tube in her chest and prone to seizures which cause her joints to dislocate and stop her breathing.
She was faced with moving out of the family home to cope with her complex medical needs.
But after her plight was highlighted by the Observer and consequently national press, she was approached to appear on BBC One show DIY SOS.
And around a year ago presenter Nick Knowles, designer Lawrence Llwellyn Bowen and their team descended on the Print-Lambert home – where Chloe lives with mum Suze, step-dad Phil and brother Joshua – to start the makeover.
Local businesses and traders – including Rugby-based Stepnell where Darren works – gave their time and goods for free to build a self-contained apartment complete with wet room for Chloe – who was previously living in the family lounge.
Darren volunteered as a design carpenter and was tasked with the job of helping the project team make two units as part of an accessible craft area for Chloe to house her art materials.
He also assisted with the design and build of a bespoke Welsh dresser to accommodate a microwave and a fridge.
Darren said: “This was quite an emotional experience and I was really proud to be part of this local project.
“I’m a father to two young children and it really meant a lot to me to be able to contribute to giving Chloe a space where she can have some independence and enjoy being a part of the family.”
