0:00:02 > 0:00:05Ben and Sam Laws are a couple who have dedicated their working lives
0:00:05 > 0:00:08to others, without asking for anything back.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11I really like helping people, I really get a buzz out of it
0:00:11 > 0:00:15and I really don't like it when people help me - I'm terrible.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18At work, they're paramedics, out saving lives,
0:00:18 > 0:00:21but at home the caring doesn't stop.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26No-one ever thinks they're going to end up with a disabled child,
0:00:26 > 0:00:28it's just not what you think,
0:00:28 > 0:00:31and then you've just got to deal with that.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34For years they've battled on without complaint to provide a loving home
0:00:34 > 0:00:39for their children, but in a house totally unsuitable for their needs.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41With everything that they've faced, you know,
0:00:41 > 0:00:45they can't let Ewan and Olivia see...see their troubles,
0:00:45 > 0:00:48see their struggles, and it's always tears behind closed doors.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51I think sometimes it's easier to pretend there's not a problem,
0:00:51 > 0:00:56or that you are coping and that this is just the way life is.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59Well, life shouldn't be like that for ANY family.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02And with a bit of help from the trades...
0:01:02 > 0:01:04- Are you happy? - I'm very happy, mate.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07..we're going to build them a house fit for a family of heroes.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11They're local paramedics, I'm pretty sure they've probably helped me out
0:01:11 > 0:01:13at some point, peeling me off the street somewhere,
0:01:13 > 0:01:16so I thought, yeah, you know, it would be good to help out.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19DIY... SOS.
0:01:19 > 0:01:20C'mon, boys.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22We have just nine days to pull off this important build.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24What we need is an army of helpers,
0:01:24 > 0:01:26good-looking ones, like these people here.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29- Aren't you all gorgeous? - ALL:- Yes!
0:01:29 > 0:01:31This is DIY SOS: The Big Build!
0:01:41 > 0:01:44Ben and Sam Laws both work as paramedics
0:01:44 > 0:01:46for the London Ambulance Service.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50It's kind of a privilege to be in people's lives and...
0:01:50 > 0:01:53there's this kind of acceptance that they just trust you implicitly.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56You obviously call 999 because you're at your wits' end
0:01:56 > 0:02:00with something, and being able to turn it around for somebody
0:02:00 > 0:02:02is so amazing.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05It's long hours and it can be quite draining emotionally,
0:02:05 > 0:02:07but it is very rewarding.
0:02:07 > 0:02:08As everyday heroes,
0:02:08 > 0:02:11the couple are used to dealing with life-changing events
0:02:11 > 0:02:12on a daily basis.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14On the front line, we see everything,
0:02:14 > 0:02:18so from delivering babies to traumatic event - a car crash
0:02:18 > 0:02:22or someone falling from a height - to, er, to sick children.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24It makes you more grounded as a person,
0:02:24 > 0:02:27how you deal with things that affect you.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29Ben and Sam met at work and married in 2007,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32and with baby daughter Olivia in tow,
0:02:32 > 0:02:34family life was bundling along nicely.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38So nicely, in fact, that soon they were expecting a second child.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42Yes, little Olivia was going to have a little brother,
0:02:42 > 0:02:43but when he was born,
0:02:43 > 0:02:46it became apparent things were not as they should be.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50So Ewan was born at 31 weeks,
0:02:50 > 0:02:52and at three weeks old
0:02:52 > 0:02:55they did a brain scan and found the damaged brain matter.
0:02:55 > 0:03:01They said to us, "Ewan's got a catastrophic brain injury.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04"He's going to be disabled for the rest of his life.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07"Your marriage will probably break down and...
0:03:07 > 0:03:11"and it's going to be the hardest thing you've ever done."
0:03:11 > 0:03:15Ewan was diagnosed with quadriplegic cerebral palsy,
0:03:15 > 0:03:19which drastically limits all his movements, speech and development.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22I remember just feeling like I was going to fall off the chair.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24I just couldn't take it all in,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27and then when I went over to his cot I didn't know whether to pick him up
0:03:27 > 0:03:32and hug him or...just walk away - I just didn't know what to feel.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36As a parent, you just want to hug your kids and protect them,
0:03:36 > 0:03:40and we couldn't. And even doing what we do at work,
0:03:40 > 0:03:42it wasn't any easier...
0:03:42 > 0:03:44I think it was worse in a way, wasn't it?
0:03:44 > 0:03:47I think we just realised early on what it was...
0:03:47 > 0:03:49what was ahead of us.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Even though they understood the challenges ahead,
0:03:52 > 0:03:56problems started just weeks after Ewan came home.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59He was having apnoea, so he kept stopping breathing at home
0:03:59 > 0:04:01and the retrieval team came,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04took him up to St Thomas' Hospital in London.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08As Ewan's condition got worse, he was put on life support,
0:04:08 > 0:04:12and Ben and Sam faced the hardest decision they've ever had to take.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16They told us there that his injury was so severe
0:04:16 > 0:04:20that we should consider literally turning the switch off
0:04:20 > 0:04:26and saying goodbye, and, um, that's what we were going to have to do.
0:04:26 > 0:04:27And they did one last brain scan
0:04:27 > 0:04:30and it wasn't quite what they thought it was going to be
0:04:30 > 0:04:33and they told us he might have some cognitive function,
0:04:33 > 0:04:35so they couldn't ethically turn the machine off.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37I couldn't work out how to feel, I didn't...
0:04:37 > 0:04:43let alone how to kind of manage my feelings. It was, it was hard.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47Ewan survived his brush with death
0:04:47 > 0:04:50and today he's a bright and happy six-year-old.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54- Ready?- Yes.- High fives.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56He loves watching sport on the telly.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58Who is playing?
0:04:58 > 0:05:01England versus Wales. Who do you want to win?
0:05:01 > 0:05:03- England.- Oh, OK.
0:05:03 > 0:05:08And he regularly joins Dad, who takes part in triathlons
0:05:08 > 0:05:11and Ironman challenges to raise money to help Ewan.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13Go on, Dad!
0:05:13 > 0:05:16But Ewan's life expectancy is reduced
0:05:16 > 0:05:19and he faces a lifetime of doctors' appointments.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23'I think we worked out that, since he was born,'
0:05:23 > 0:05:27he's had 363 days' worth of appointments in six years.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31And, of course, all this rubs off on big sister Olivia.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34I feel rotten for Olivia sometimes.
0:05:34 > 0:05:35It's nobody's fault, really,
0:05:35 > 0:05:37it's just the way that it is, it's just really hard
0:05:37 > 0:05:42when you've got to do so much for Ewan to spend the time with her.
0:05:42 > 0:05:43Is it nice, Ewan?
0:05:43 > 0:05:45Yeah.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47She's always known him to be disabled
0:05:47 > 0:05:50and he can't run around, he can't sit up on his own,
0:05:50 > 0:05:53he can't crawl, he can't hold anything,
0:05:53 > 0:05:55so to her it's almost normal.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57Family life has become a team effort,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00but made so much harder by living in a place
0:06:00 > 0:06:04that falls woefully short of fulfilling their needs.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07I can't wait to see the rugby.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11It isn't conducive to having a child who can't walk -
0:06:11 > 0:06:14he's got no mobility at all.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17Ewan likes to spend a lot of time in that front room.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20Every time I leave the room, he starts shouting at me.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23- Mummy!- He just wants me to be there with him.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26He really makes me feel imprisoned, it's horrible.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28Because he can't do anything on his own,
0:06:28 > 0:06:31he needs that kind of constant reassurance that we're there,
0:06:31 > 0:06:34and visually he hasn't got that, because of the walls.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36It's not just the house,
0:06:36 > 0:06:38the good-sized garden COULD be an escape,
0:06:38 > 0:06:40but with no wheelchair access,
0:06:40 > 0:06:43this outdoor space may as well not be here for Ewan.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46We should be out here more, you always feel better, don't you,
0:06:46 > 0:06:48when you go out?
0:06:48 > 0:06:53Just experience...the outdoors and the elements and nature.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56Ready? Let's go upstairs.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58Night.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Now, any parent will tell you bedtime can be hard work.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03With Ewan, it's a herculean effort.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07I think we're getting to that point with Ewan where he's too heavy,
0:07:07 > 0:07:09it's not going to be possible to just keep lugging him
0:07:09 > 0:07:11around all the time.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15And to reassure him at night, Ewan sleeps in with Sam or Ben.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17What do we do when we go to bed?
0:07:18 > 0:07:20Mummy gets in with you.
0:07:22 > 0:07:27'So Ewan sleeps in the double bed and one of us sleeps in with him.'
0:07:27 > 0:07:29And what have you done today? Where have you been?
0:07:29 > 0:07:33And the other one sleeps in the single bed on their own.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36The last time we did share a bed was probably six years ago.
0:07:36 > 0:07:37That's not right, is it?
0:07:37 > 0:07:40Along with the demands of juggling night shifts
0:07:40 > 0:07:43and full-time care of a severely disabled little boy,
0:07:43 > 0:07:47they barely function on a few hours' sleep a night.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49I don't think people truly understand, when you...
0:07:49 > 0:07:52If you say to a friend that you've had a bad day...
0:07:52 > 0:07:56A bad day to one of my friends who don't have a child with special needs
0:07:56 > 0:07:59isn't a bad day in my book - that's a day
0:07:59 > 0:08:05I can only dream of. And having a bad day here with Ewan is bad.
0:08:05 > 0:08:10I just... There has to be more to life than what we have now.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15So what is it you need this house to do
0:08:15 > 0:08:17that it's not doing at the moment?
0:08:17 > 0:08:19Make Ewan a downstairs bedroom to help them,
0:08:19 > 0:08:23so that Mum and Dad don't have to keep carrying him upstairs.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26OK, all right, that's fairly important. Anything else?
0:08:26 > 0:08:27It is a house and not a home for us.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30I wanted to find out a little bit more about you
0:08:30 > 0:08:34because you like your sport. Have you been watching the Olympics?
0:08:34 > 0:08:38- Yes. - Yeah? Who is your favourite athlete?
0:08:38 > 0:08:39Um...
0:08:41 > 0:08:45- The German... - Any of the family German?- No.- No?
0:08:45 > 0:08:50In the Olympics, he just started going, "C'mon, Germany!"
0:08:50 > 0:08:52He was going, "England, England!"
0:08:52 > 0:08:55And then he suddenly went, "Germany! Germany!" all the way through it.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58Somebody told me that you want to be an architect? Is that right?
0:08:58 > 0:09:02- What sort of things do you want to design then?- Disabled houses.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04Oh, do you? That would be quite handy.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08Olivia very kindly wants to design a house for us all to live in,
0:09:08 > 0:09:11especially for Ewan, which is so sweet.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13So you're both paramedics - as people who cope
0:09:13 > 0:09:16and deal with things every day, how do you feel about the fact
0:09:16 > 0:09:19that, um, that people have sort of put you forward for this...?
0:09:19 > 0:09:22I should imagine it doesn't come easy to you?
0:09:22 > 0:09:24I think people who are helpers, though,
0:09:24 > 0:09:27aren't generally very good at accepting it themselves, are they?
0:09:27 > 0:09:29Well, they better start getting used to the idea
0:09:29 > 0:09:33because, outside, a small army has started to form.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35We might need a few more yet, though.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37Let's get them outside and meet who is here.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39No matter how many there are,
0:09:39 > 0:09:41we have a job to do. We need to get the family away.
0:09:41 > 0:09:42Here we go! And some of the builders
0:09:42 > 0:09:45- who've turned up to help. - Hi, guys.- Hi!
0:09:45 > 0:09:48Morning, everybody. I can see happy, smiley faces - most of them!
0:09:48 > 0:09:49Most of them!
0:09:49 > 0:09:52So this is the family. They're a bit weirded-out because
0:09:52 > 0:09:54they're paramedics so they spend most of their lives scraping
0:09:54 > 0:09:57the likes of you and me off the street and putting us back together,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00and are finding it a bit weird that people are helping them this time.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02- That's true to say, isn't it? - Very strange, yeah.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04So, listen, we'll get you off so we can get started.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07- Cool.- And start making a mess of your house, if that's all right.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10- See you, guys!- Bye, Ewan.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13'So, as the family get set for nine days away,
0:10:13 > 0:10:16'we get set for battle with one totally inadequate house.'
0:10:16 > 0:10:19We're still going to need a big army, though -
0:10:19 > 0:10:21hence the totally vacant expression.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Well, it's a bit of a disaster, isn't it?
0:10:24 > 0:10:26- We've got to... - This is a disaster.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29It's the first time we've been caught like this, isn't it?
0:10:29 > 0:10:32First time in the history of doing the Big Build that I can remember
0:10:32 > 0:10:35that we've had some 19 people turn up on the first day -
0:10:35 > 0:10:38we normally expect somewhere between 65 and 85 people on the first day.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40We've got to reconfigure the whole house, we've got the garden to do,
0:10:40 > 0:10:42we've got to put a new driveway in.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45- There's no way we can complete this job in 8 days with 19 people.- No.
0:10:45 > 0:10:46He always makes me feel better,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49but this is DIY SOS, and in trades we trust.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51In the next hour or so, they come in.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53So we've got these electricians...
0:10:53 > 0:10:56We've got a few boys going to come over and give you a hand
0:10:56 > 0:10:59- with some plastering and other bits you need.- Thank you very much.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02The main objective today is we've got to remove all
0:11:02 > 0:11:05the walls on the ground floor of the property, so we have to hit it hard.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09Thank you very much for joining us and, um, so glad to see you.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11I'd like to kiss yous all but...
0:11:11 > 0:11:13Fancy a kiss, boys?
0:11:13 > 0:11:15- All right to go in?- Go for it. - Obviously not.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18That's what happens on these jobs all the time - you think,
0:11:18 > 0:11:20"It's not happening, we haven't got the people here,"
0:11:20 > 0:11:24they start coming in, they start coming in,
0:11:24 > 0:11:26and we're going to build a house!
0:11:26 > 0:11:28It may have been a false start,
0:11:28 > 0:11:30but, inside, the old walls are coming down
0:11:30 > 0:11:32and, outside, a load of new walls have arrived
0:11:32 > 0:11:34for a timber-frame extension.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36It's funny how you can get a building delivered
0:11:36 > 0:11:38on a back of a lorry, innit?
0:11:38 > 0:11:42It's like sort of giant Jenga with a building.
0:11:42 > 0:11:43So who's gaffer on the timber frame?
0:11:43 > 0:11:46- I am. - You are. Where's piece number one?
0:11:46 > 0:11:51Piece number one, erm, don't know yet.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55- At the bottom. - Probably, I don't know!
0:11:55 > 0:11:58That's a bit worrying, isn't it? If they can sort it out,
0:11:58 > 0:12:02this pre-made timber frame could help us make up a bit of lost time.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06And Jules is trying his best too, bless him.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08All right there? You're looking a little bit puffed.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10Not the man I used to be.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14- Who is?- I've not thought about... I'm waiting to meet him.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17Yeah. There's boys behind you stood waiting to take over in a shift,
0:12:17 > 0:12:19don't take it all on yourself.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22Here you go, look.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26- Medic!- I'm going to take him...
0:12:30 > 0:12:32See, there was a day when he'd do that all on his own,
0:12:32 > 0:12:34stand there all day - not any more.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38Old and knackered, see? If he was a farm animal we'd be putting him down
0:12:38 > 0:12:41about now, put him out of his misery.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44So why are we taking out all these walls?
0:12:44 > 0:12:47The one with the answers, we hope, will be nature boy himself,
0:12:47 > 0:12:52the aptly named herald of hope, health and harmony - Oliver Heath.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55And knowing Oliver he'll probably have some long-winded
0:12:55 > 0:12:56kind of theme up his sleeve.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59We're thinking circadian rhythms, nature...nature...nature...
0:12:59 > 0:13:03De-stress to create happier, healthier spaces to live in.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06'Brace yourselves.' What about nature, Oliver?
0:13:06 > 0:13:11Well, that's the thing, how do you get a sense of nature
0:13:11 > 0:13:15into the house? And Sam said that's really, really important to her,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18and she's described this house as a virtual prison for her.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20I think what we need to do is bring the outside in.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24No! I hate that expression so much because actually...
0:13:24 > 0:13:27What do you mean? You used it on the last job, you said to me!
0:13:27 > 0:13:29No, no, no, YOU used that expression.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33No, no, in the description I told you we were going to use biophilia,
0:13:33 > 0:13:35and you said, "Bringing the outside in,"
0:13:35 > 0:13:37and it's not that - it's a whole lot more than that.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39So what you're going to do is get some reclaimed timber
0:13:39 > 0:13:43- and make a wall of it?- That's exactly what we're going to do.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46And then here in the middle, as a real centre point for this room
0:13:46 > 0:13:48and the other one, is an open fireplace
0:13:48 > 0:13:50that connects the two spaces.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53- Like a pub.- A bit like a pub,
0:13:53 > 0:13:56or like a room with a fireplace that's open on both sides.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00Just a room, and not necessarily just a pub.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02But that's where you see them, innit, when you walk round
0:14:02 > 0:14:04and on one side there's a chimney with an open side
0:14:04 > 0:14:06on both sides, it's a pub.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09You see them in nicely designed Scandinavian homes quite a lot.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11Yeah, that too, but mostly in the pub.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13Maybe it's a bit like a pub, OK.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17'So what will Oliver's Nordic-style house with a pub fireplace
0:14:17 > 0:14:18'look like?'
0:14:18 > 0:14:22Well, removing most of the downstairs walls will leave
0:14:22 > 0:14:23an open-plan kitchen/diner
0:14:23 > 0:14:26and a living area around a double-sided fireplace,
0:14:26 > 0:14:29providing better access, sightlines and light,
0:14:29 > 0:14:32and banish any sense of imprisonment.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35Replacing the garage with a downstairs bedroom
0:14:35 > 0:14:38and wet room for Ewan, he'll be able to sleep without Mum or Dad
0:14:38 > 0:14:39for the first time in six years.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42Upstairs Ben and Sam will be reunited
0:14:42 > 0:14:43with their own brand-new bedroom,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46and the old boxroom will become a valuable quiet study.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50And the well-deserving Olivia will get a bedroom
0:14:50 > 0:14:54fit for an aspiring young architect.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56Outside is equally important for the family,
0:14:56 > 0:14:58where Oliver has designed a whole new living space.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00Under a covered deck will be
0:15:00 > 0:15:02an outdoor kitchen with a sink and cooking area.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05A ramp for Ewan will lead down to a flat play area
0:15:05 > 0:15:09with level access to the lawn, and the old shed will be moved across
0:15:09 > 0:15:13and remodelled to create a garden room, where the kids can hang out.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16All we have to do is shift it.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19What's your current plan for lifting this and moving it over there?
0:15:19 > 0:15:23We get loads of guys to pick it up and just move it.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26- LAUGHTER - What did you just say?!
0:15:26 > 0:15:30- Get loads of guys to lift it, carry it over...?!- Come here, come here.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33Actually, we've got a plan, haven't we, what did you say?
0:15:33 > 0:15:36Hold on, hold on, I just mentioned something a minute ago.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38No, you mentioned a really good plan - a lift.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40I'd like you to get down that side of the shed,
0:15:40 > 0:15:42show us how you get down that side of the shed to lift it.
0:15:42 > 0:15:43We're going to jack it up,
0:15:43 > 0:15:47put, like, rollers underneath it and push it.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49Like Stonehenge.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51- Have you never been to Stonehenge? - Like Stonehenge?
0:15:51 > 0:15:54- Yeah, that was all moved on rollers, wasn't it?- Apparently!
0:15:54 > 0:15:55- I wasn't here, mate.- Ask Billy -
0:15:55 > 0:15:57he was around at that stage, he'll know.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00MUSIC: O Fortuna from Carmina Burana
0:16:00 > 0:16:03Yes, we're going with big music, which means it's a big job.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07Up a bit more, bit more.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09Really helping, really helping(!)
0:16:15 > 0:16:17I don't think it's enough people.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19Even with the know-how of the ancient Britons,
0:16:19 > 0:16:22this shed ain't going to budge without a bit more muscle power,
0:16:22 > 0:16:25and here it comes.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27Look at the enthusiastic expressions.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30Let's do it. Right, where do you want us?
0:16:30 > 0:16:32- One, two, three! - All hands on deck.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36Whoa!
0:16:36 > 0:16:39And, of course, a bit of Irish wisdom never goes amiss.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41Hang on, just to make it much easier for you,
0:16:41 > 0:16:43let's make it a bit lighter.
0:16:45 > 0:16:46If you take that off...
0:16:46 > 0:16:49You've got to think about these things.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52One, two, three!
0:16:52 > 0:16:54MUSIC CRESCENDOS
0:16:58 > 0:17:00APPLAUSE
0:17:01 > 0:17:05- Look at the smile on your face. - It's good to see that, isn't it?
0:17:05 > 0:17:08They would never have managed that on their own, would they?
0:17:08 > 0:17:10No, no, no, it was a good job you were there.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14Got to crack on again. Inside, there's more general destruction
0:17:14 > 0:17:16to make way for the new wiring and plumbing.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20And the extension for Ewan's new room is all laid out.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22I was very worried this morning,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25but it's really taking shape now. They're not shy, are they?
0:17:25 > 0:17:27They're going to have this up to the roof tonight.
0:17:27 > 0:17:32With the giant Jenga all sorted, putting it up is child's play.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35In barely an afternoon, Ewan will have his own space.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40To help him cope with his disability,
0:17:40 > 0:17:44Sam and the family take Ewan to intensive physiotherapy near Oxford.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47Just getting him here is a mission in itself.
0:17:47 > 0:17:52'It's an absolute nightmare getting to Footsteps every day,
0:17:52 > 0:17:55'and it's for three weeks, so it's 15 trips in a row,
0:17:55 > 0:17:59'backwards and forwards to get here, but it's well worth it.'
0:17:59 > 0:18:02It's a mother's love that puts Ewan through his paces,
0:18:02 > 0:18:07but as a medic and a mother, Sam sees the benefits more than anyone.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09Ready to go. Can we do some bounces?
0:18:09 > 0:18:11I'm ready for everything.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13OK! Fantastic.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15I come here because it offers us
0:18:15 > 0:18:18such an opportunity to improve Ewan's outcome
0:18:18 > 0:18:22and, um, some of the stuff that they do here is really unique
0:18:22 > 0:18:24so the Spider puts him
0:18:24 > 0:18:28in positions that he couldn't get in at home or with his other physios.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31OK, have you got enough energy to do a few more?
0:18:31 > 0:18:33It is such hard work for him coming here,
0:18:33 > 0:18:36- but he gets so much out of it. - Very good.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40Mummy will be so proud.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43Mummy will be so proud, yes.
0:18:43 > 0:18:48Treatment like this will help make Ewan's future so much brighter.
0:18:49 > 0:18:54Ewan, here is your certificate to say well done, super-superstar,
0:18:54 > 0:18:58you've been brilliant. You've worked so well, we're very proud of you.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01That's a lovely certificate, isn't it?
0:19:01 > 0:19:03Are you going to shake Fiona's hand?
0:19:07 > 0:19:09Well done, I'm so proud.
0:19:09 > 0:19:14I think it's extraordinary as a parent to see what Ewan goes through
0:19:14 > 0:19:16to improve his mobility - in fact,
0:19:16 > 0:19:19what the whole family goes through to improve his mobility.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23So we should give him the space he needs to move about in.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25That's why everyone's working so hard.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28That's why there's plumbers, electricians, plasterers
0:19:28 > 0:19:31and landscapers - even firemen turning up to help.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34- Is that what you do for a living? - Yeah, I'm on annual leave this week.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37Mate, you spend your whole life being a hero,
0:19:37 > 0:19:40- walking into the flames. Are you on a desk job, is it?- No, no!
0:19:40 > 0:19:42THEY LAUGH
0:19:42 > 0:19:45- Is that right? You're a fireman, and you'll do your week off here?- Yeah.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48- Why would you want to do that? - It's just, um, that's what I do -
0:19:48 > 0:19:51that's what I get a kick out of doing is helping people out.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54Much like...cos they're paramedics, aren't they?
0:19:54 > 0:19:55They're local paramedics.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58I'm pretty sure they've probably helped me out at some point
0:19:58 > 0:19:59peeling me off the street somewhere,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02so I thought, yeah, you know, it would be good to help out, so, yeah.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05- Obviously the lunch is very good as well so that always helps.- Yeah.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08A different view there - you're doing this to help out
0:20:08 > 0:20:11because they're paramedics, local people giving something back
0:20:11 > 0:20:14to the community. He's interested in the lunch.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16Asking the trades to help this family of heroes was never
0:20:16 > 0:20:20going to be a tough sell, even though Sam and Ben
0:20:20 > 0:20:24are the kind of people who would never ask for help themselves.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26So, what did you make of the family when you met them
0:20:26 > 0:20:28just at the start of the job?
0:20:28 > 0:20:31Genuinely, they looked embarrassed
0:20:31 > 0:20:34for letting...giving us the keys to the house.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36That's how I looked at them. I thought they looked
0:20:36 > 0:20:40- really uncomfortable.- Well, let's face it, ambulance drivers
0:20:40 > 0:20:43and paramedics do a great job, but it's not as if they do it
0:20:43 > 0:20:46for the money - they're not really well paid, it's a vocation.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49And they were never going to be able to get this done for Ewan
0:20:49 > 0:20:51on their own, so why shouldn't they...?
0:20:51 > 0:20:54Especially those kind of people who do so much for the community.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56Well, unfortunately, Nick, there's two types of people in life -
0:20:56 > 0:20:59there's givers and there's takers,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02and this couple here have got themselves behind a wall
0:21:02 > 0:21:05where they think, "Well, we can't possibly ask for help."
0:21:05 > 0:21:07- "Because we'll manage." - "Because we'll get by
0:21:07 > 0:21:09- "cos that's what we do." - That's not right, though, is it?
0:21:09 > 0:21:11It's not right, no.
0:21:11 > 0:21:16Struggling on in silence is no way for a family to live.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19With the right changes, though, just maybe this house can be
0:21:19 > 0:21:22turned into a home in which they can all thrive.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25Well, it has been a very successful day, I think. We've completely
0:21:25 > 0:21:28changed the downstairs of this house. This wall has come out,
0:21:28 > 0:21:30we've made a flipping great hole here which we're going to fill
0:21:30 > 0:21:33with concrete so that we can put a box-beam effect in here.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35You might like to go the other side of the fireplace,
0:21:35 > 0:21:38which you couldn't do earlier, and join me in the backroom,
0:21:38 > 0:21:40where we have taken out yet another wall
0:21:40 > 0:21:43and the ceiling's down everywhere, of course,
0:21:43 > 0:21:45electrics and plumbing starting to go in.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47Come and look at the extension, cos that's really substantial,
0:21:47 > 0:21:51and you've got like an atrium, a wet room and bedroom
0:21:51 > 0:21:54all in here eventually - you can see it's starting to take shape.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57All we've got to do tomorrow is put a roof on and we're done.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59Not bad for the first day, don't you think?
0:22:03 > 0:22:06It might well be on its way, but we are only on day two,
0:22:06 > 0:22:08so we can't stand around resting on our laurels -
0:22:08 > 0:22:10that way you get crumpled laurels.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13We've clearly not managed to put any of the trades off,
0:22:13 > 0:22:17and with the heavy stuff out of the way, it's sparks to their marks.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20In this house more than any other, Billy, lighting is really important,
0:22:20 > 0:22:22and I'll tell you why.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25Because they're shift workers, they have these really irregular hours
0:22:25 > 0:22:28and their circadian rhythms get out of sync.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31Now, circadian rhythms, have you heard of this term?
0:22:31 > 0:22:35- Cavian rhythms? - Not cavian - circadian.- Circadian.
0:22:35 > 0:22:40- Circadian rhythms are...- Are you listening?- It's the impact of light
0:22:40 > 0:22:44and dark on our mental, physical and behaviour over 24 hours.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46Now, you know when you go...
0:22:46 > 0:22:48I'm got to lean against this in case this lasts a long time.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52- No, you know when you travel and you get jet-lagged...- Yeah, oh, yeah.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55That's a kind of symptom of your body clock going out of sync.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58The system that we've got, it's a remote-controlled lighting system,
0:22:58 > 0:23:00and I know it's complicated.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02- I'm Jurassic Spark, you're a young spark.- That's it.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05What do you think about being in this house with the way
0:23:05 > 0:23:08- the family are?- I'm all for it, to be honest.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11You can do it from the comfort of your own bed or sofa,
0:23:11 > 0:23:14turn the light on and off, dimming - that's important, dimming.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17I think that seems to be two versus one.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19No, no, no, you've got it all wrong...
0:23:19 > 0:23:22You've just got to move with the times, I think.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25No, no, Oliver, you've got it all wrong...
0:23:25 > 0:23:28You think I'm automatically against it, I'm not!
0:23:28 > 0:23:30I'm asking about the maintaining. I'm asking,
0:23:30 > 0:23:34when we've gone and done our pretty colours and our pretty lighting
0:23:34 > 0:23:38and we're not there to support them, because they're not electricians.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41But I know that what you do, Billy, is really important.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43He's a rat, ain't he?! What can you say
0:23:43 > 0:23:46when he butters up to you like that?!
0:23:46 > 0:23:48I'm just saying that what you're doing here is much
0:23:48 > 0:23:51more important than just a complicated lighting system.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54I'm not talking about the complicated lighting system
0:23:54 > 0:23:56because you can throw anything at my sparks and myself
0:23:56 > 0:23:58and we can do it, we can do it.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01I think it's a great idea to have the dimming lights and stuff.
0:24:01 > 0:24:02No, it will work for them.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05Mentally and physically it will make them feel better.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08That was two minds not quite meeting - well, one-and-a-half.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12Building a bespoke home fit for Ewan is something big sister Olivia
0:24:12 > 0:24:13has always wanted to do.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16Only eight, she's already said she wants to be an architect.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18If you had that house,
0:24:18 > 0:24:21would you take the walls out? What would you do?
0:24:21 > 0:24:24I would take that wall,
0:24:24 > 0:24:26that wall...
0:24:29 > 0:24:31- ..and that wall. - You'd take those three walls out?
0:24:31 > 0:24:35Yeah, like, when you go to cook tea, Ewan panics that you've gone.
0:24:35 > 0:24:36Because he can't see them.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38Yeah, Ewan thinks that cos he can't see you,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41he thinks you've left him in the house, so he starts screaming
0:24:41 > 0:24:44and then he screams so much, he slips and falls off the sofa.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46Oh, does he, he gets that upset, does he?
0:24:46 > 0:24:49Do you get sad about the fact that, you know,
0:24:49 > 0:24:51Mum and Dad have to concentrate so much on Ewan all the time?
0:24:51 > 0:24:54- I mean, I guess you understand why, but...- Yeah, sometimes,
0:24:54 > 0:24:56sometimes they get a bit cross
0:24:56 > 0:24:58because Ewan starts crying and blame it on me and I get sent
0:24:58 > 0:25:01to my bedroom, and then I get a bit irritated because he gets all
0:25:01 > 0:25:04the attention and then sometimes I start winding him up by accident.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07- So when you wind him up, it's by accident...- Yeah.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09- ..but when he winds you up it's on purpose?- Yeah.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11I thought I got the hang of that.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14I think things will get a bit easier once the house is sorted out.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16It's weird to have people from the TV to do your house.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18I mean, it's not something normal.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20Do our friends think it's a bit weird?
0:25:20 > 0:25:23Yeah, I went to my friends yesterday and they said
0:25:23 > 0:25:26it's like intruders coming to your house and start knocking it down.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28Yeah, but good intruders.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31It's like the fairy tales when they say the fairies came overnight
0:25:31 > 0:25:33and change things around or made a set of shoes
0:25:33 > 0:25:36or did things like that? It's like that, they're building fairies.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39MUSIC: Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from The Nutcracker
0:25:39 > 0:25:41I'm not lying about those building fairies.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44They're busy fitting the steelwork that will hold up the ceilings.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47And to help rid Sam of her feelings of imprisonment,
0:25:47 > 0:25:50they've brought a huge roof light for the extension.
0:25:50 > 0:25:51- Go on, mate!- Right.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56In one.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00Well done.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04But, with all this exertion one of the fairies has hurt himself,
0:26:04 > 0:26:05or do they all walk like that?
0:26:07 > 0:26:11It's quite strange. It's like deep muscular thing.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14What happens I'm walking along and me leg just gives way...
0:26:14 > 0:26:16- Gives way under you?- Yeah.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Even to a point where the roofer's picked up on it
0:26:18 > 0:26:20and he's offered to rub a gel into his inner thigh.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22He's worried about my limp
0:26:22 > 0:26:24so he's going to rub cream into my inner thigh.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27You think we're messing around, don't you? Seriously, we had this
0:26:27 > 0:26:31conversation with the roofer where he's offered to rub gel and I said
0:26:31 > 0:26:34"Would you have been so assertive if it was an elbow or his shoulder?"
0:26:34 > 0:26:36and he went, "Nah, he can do that himself",
0:26:36 > 0:26:38but his inner thigh, he's quite prepared to rub it in.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41MUSIC: Bump N' Grind by R Kelly
0:26:41 > 0:26:42It's always so impressive
0:26:42 > 0:26:46that the trades are willing to go that extra mile.
0:26:46 > 0:26:47Down a little bit.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50It's like a horrific fascination.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53You know, like when you drive past a car crash or something
0:26:53 > 0:26:54and you can't help but look.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01- You've done that before, haven't you, big boy?- I have, yeah.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04What exactly is wrong with him, then?
0:27:04 > 0:27:08He's got a bad leg definitely. Definitely got a bad leg.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13Oh, me helmet's just fell off.
0:27:13 > 0:27:18Oh, Jesus, I didn't touch that. I went nowhere near it, guv'nor.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20Hats off to Dave, literally,
0:27:20 > 0:27:23but there's precious little time for R&R.
0:27:23 > 0:27:24We're only just into this build.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27Inside, the plasterers are boarding out and Billy
0:27:27 > 0:27:30and his boys are trying to get to grips with the lighting system.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32What we're doing here is,
0:27:32 > 0:27:35the way this thing is working you can get cables trapped,
0:27:35 > 0:27:38but if we're behind the boys and they put up the boards up
0:27:38 > 0:27:40and we drill our holes, bring our cables down,
0:27:40 > 0:27:42we can all sleep tonight.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45The boys are lovely, they're happy with me following them
0:27:45 > 0:27:48- round with a drill and it's all worked out, innit, lads?- Yeah.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53Hopefully, the hi-tech lighting will help
0:27:53 > 0:27:56to make Ben and Sam's hectic lives a bit easier.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59As paramedics, they're used to staring adversity in the face,
0:27:59 > 0:28:02but nothing could prepare them for the prospect
0:28:02 > 0:28:05of having to turn off their own son's life-support six years ago.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10Yeah, that was tough. That was the point at which I realised
0:28:10 > 0:28:13it was all pretty serious and they tell you that you have to do it.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15You have to say goodbye, in case...
0:28:15 > 0:28:17Yeah, so all our families came up, my mum, my dad, my sister,
0:28:17 > 0:28:21my brother, Sam's family all went up and said goodbye.
0:28:22 > 0:28:23What did you say to him?
0:28:23 > 0:28:26I didn't, I didn't think I needed to say anything.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28I just wanted to...
0:28:28 > 0:28:30be there and, it's kind of letting him go,
0:28:30 > 0:28:32that's what you didn't want to do.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35Where do you go from one minute he's there
0:28:35 > 0:28:38and the next minute he's not and I didn't want that to happen.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41So, is that why you manage everyday afterwards
0:28:41 > 0:28:44because every day away from that point is...
0:28:44 > 0:28:46Is better than it was.
0:28:46 > 0:28:47It can never be that bad.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49It's bad sometimes
0:28:49 > 0:28:53and sometimes you really do kind of question
0:28:53 > 0:28:55is it going to get any better.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57Given all the things that you're dealing with,
0:28:57 > 0:28:59you do appear to be very relaxed.
0:28:59 > 0:29:04Are you putting a brave face on seething emotions?
0:29:04 > 0:29:05Probably.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08I think there's that element of not wanting to be known
0:29:08 > 0:29:09as the person who can't cope at home,
0:29:09 > 0:29:11the person who finds things difficult.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13And it's just this balancing act
0:29:13 > 0:29:16and Sam seems to do that better than anyone that I know.
0:29:16 > 0:29:21To be fair, she's helped me through it just by the way she's been.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24So when you get to the point where you think,
0:29:24 > 0:29:27"Oh, I can't deal with this any more," she just carries on.
0:29:27 > 0:29:29She's an extraordinary woman.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32Yeah...very strong.
0:29:32 > 0:29:33Do you not miss her?
0:29:33 > 0:29:36You haven't been together properly since Ewan came along.
0:29:36 > 0:29:37You don't get a chance to sleep together,
0:29:37 > 0:29:39one of you is always with Ewan, it's just...
0:29:39 > 0:29:41Yeah, different bedrooms and...
0:29:41 > 0:29:45That man and wife thing has sort of gone away a bit, hasn't it?
0:29:45 > 0:29:49It's become normal though which is wrong. It shouldn't be that way.
0:29:49 > 0:29:53So there's a balance to be struck, something's gotta give
0:29:53 > 0:29:55and it won't be anything for the kids - it can't be.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59Ben and Sam have always put the children
0:29:59 > 0:30:01above their own relationship.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03Maybe we can give them the chance
0:30:03 > 0:30:06to be a bit more of a normal couple again.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08- Look at that, what do you think? - It's very nice actually.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10So which floor are you putting this on?
0:30:10 > 0:30:12- No this is going on the wall. - Oh, this is the wall stuff.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15This is the wall in the dining room and then we've got a TV cabinet.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18And then in the bedroom I'm going to do
0:30:18 > 0:30:21this wonderful little romantic canopy over their bed.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23You see, I think this is interesting,
0:30:23 > 0:30:25when designers say, "I'm going to do this wonderful thing."
0:30:25 > 0:30:28And chefs do this, "I'm going to make this wonderful..."
0:30:28 > 0:30:29I'll be the judge of that.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31You can't say I'm going to do something wonderful.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34Surely it's up to you and me to decide at the end of the programme
0:30:34 > 0:30:36- if it's wonderful. - That's where science steps in, Nick.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39You can scientifically prove it's wonderful?
0:30:39 > 0:30:42That people actually sleep better with natural materials in rooms.
0:30:42 > 0:30:44So you are saying you don't need us to decide
0:30:44 > 0:30:45whether it's wonderful or not,
0:30:45 > 0:30:48it will be wonderful whether we like it or not.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50I'm not concerned if you think it's wonderful,
0:30:50 > 0:30:52what I'm most concerned about, I'm sorry, Nick...
0:30:52 > 0:30:55Probably a healthy way to go about being a designer on this programme.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58What I'm most concerned about is that for Sam, Ben and Olivia
0:30:58 > 0:31:01and Ewan we've got a wonderful house that makes them feel good,
0:31:01 > 0:31:04makes them feel calm, relaxed, helps them sleep well
0:31:04 > 0:31:06and is good for their health.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08This is actually research by doctors
0:31:08 > 0:31:12and researchers in Denmark who have been studying hospitals.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14Well, that's very laudable, very laudable,
0:31:14 > 0:31:17leaves me almost with nowhere to go in terms of taking the mickey
0:31:17 > 0:31:21because it appears that you're being empathetic and caring, medically...
0:31:21 > 0:31:23- Sensitive.- Sensitive.
0:31:23 > 0:31:25With a proven record based on research.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27Which leaves me almost nowhere to go.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29- Well, shall I get on with it? - Yeah, I'm going to step away.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34Maybe there is some truth
0:31:34 > 0:31:37in the health-enhancing qualities of these natural materials.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40Unfortunately, that's not going to make Oliver's plans
0:31:40 > 0:31:43any easier to achieve, especially with no tilers on-site
0:31:45 > 0:31:47We've got a bit of a challenge for you,
0:31:47 > 0:31:49now that you've plumbed the house for us.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51Would you be interested in tiling this chimneybreast?
0:31:51 > 0:31:54- I've seen those tiles. - Have you seen them?
0:31:54 > 0:31:56Those horrible slate effect...
0:31:56 > 0:31:58Yeah, the ones that are all over the place and stuff.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00This is going to be the main feature in the house
0:32:00 > 0:32:02and you're going to do it.
0:32:02 > 0:32:04We'll have a look at it.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06We'll take that as a yes, cos he didn't say no.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09Everyone's mucking in, but then none of us would be here at all
0:32:09 > 0:32:11if it wasn't for Jess Smith,
0:32:11 > 0:32:13Sam's best friend, who could see them struggling.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15There is always people worse off than you,
0:32:15 > 0:32:18but that's their mentality, that's how they see it.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21But that's why we help people like that because they just don't
0:32:21 > 0:32:23feel they deserve it and are slightly embarrassed by it.
0:32:23 > 0:32:25Yeah, and that's why I contacted you.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29All through Ewan's life they were told he wouldn't survive,
0:32:29 > 0:32:31turn off the machine and he carried on breathing.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34He will never talk, he will never walk, he will never sit,
0:32:34 > 0:32:37he will never function as he will be in a vegetative state
0:32:37 > 0:32:42and every little milestone that he's made, he's proved everybody wrong.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45He's almost at his maximum now. You know,
0:32:45 > 0:32:47he's not going to get significantly better.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51Both of them have got so used to just keeping a stiff upper lip,
0:32:51 > 0:32:55very British, very... just getting on with it.
0:32:55 > 0:32:57- Determined.- Yeah, just determined,
0:32:57 > 0:32:59and with everything that they've faced,
0:32:59 > 0:33:02you know, they can't let Olivia and Ewan see their trouble,
0:33:02 > 0:33:07see their struggles and so it's always tears behind closed doors.
0:33:07 > 0:33:09Do you know I think some of that steely determination
0:33:09 > 0:33:11has rubbed off on the volunteers?
0:33:11 > 0:33:13As we said, no tilers on site so it's a plumber
0:33:13 > 0:33:15and a couple of builders who are doing the job.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21I was quite happily painting the shed at the bottom, walked through
0:33:21 > 0:33:22and got a tile put in my hand so...
0:33:22 > 0:33:25What can you do? I'll be here until the top.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27Not ideal really, but they're quite happy to get stuck-in
0:33:27 > 0:33:29and give it a go.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31Taking on these jobs in just nine days
0:33:31 > 0:33:32is all a matter of man-management,
0:33:32 > 0:33:37communication, and everyone speaking exactly the same language.
0:33:37 > 0:33:39What are we doing with the water coming off this roof?
0:33:39 > 0:33:42You can probably run down to that culvert down there.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44Well, if we bring it down in the corner that will drain over
0:33:44 > 0:33:46here and let it go straight...
0:33:46 > 0:33:48And this is the accent that built half of London.
0:33:48 > 0:33:49- Keep it in line.- Keep it in line.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51Keep it in line with the front of the house
0:33:51 > 0:33:53and run it all the way across, we can dig...
0:33:53 > 0:33:54- I love this. - That's fine, yeah.
0:33:54 > 0:33:56Just get all the hardcore you need.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58- What are you doing paving, block paving?- Yeah.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00We're pouring the hardcore in today and get it compacted.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02They are fantastic.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06Luckily, these boys can lay down a driveway
0:34:06 > 0:34:07as quickly as they can talk.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11He's like a croupier of block paving.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13He makes them look like firing out a pack of cards.
0:34:15 > 0:34:16It's unbelievable, isn't it?
0:34:16 > 0:34:19And out the back, it's all hands on deck too.
0:34:19 > 0:34:20And the next one.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25Come on, stick it on.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28I've never seen decking go down this quick in my life.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30It's fantastic, between the decking in the back
0:34:30 > 0:34:33and the block work in the front, you'd be forgiven for thinking
0:34:33 > 0:34:36we might just finish in nine days.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39Working in harmony and having a good laugh. Thank you, gentlemen.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44Bloody superstars you are, superstars.
0:34:45 > 0:34:46Terry's still going.
0:34:46 > 0:34:48But then it's easy to work hard
0:34:48 > 0:34:51when you know the family you're working for
0:34:51 > 0:34:53do so much to help others.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57So I think what you do for a living is extraordinary in itself.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59I go to work and make TV programmes.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02People go to work and make cars, people go to work and sell insurance
0:35:02 > 0:35:05you go to work to scrape people off the streets, is that not terrifying?
0:35:05 > 0:35:09Yeah, sometimes you've just got people's lives in your hands,
0:35:09 > 0:35:12literally, and whatever you do it's...
0:35:12 > 0:35:16That's their future, you're going to make or break it.
0:35:16 > 0:35:20It's something you just come to deal with and it's never as stressful
0:35:20 > 0:35:23as being at home with two kids. I can deal with people,
0:35:23 > 0:35:26the most cantankerous people for hours on end
0:35:26 > 0:35:28and it's never as hard as dealing with Ewan
0:35:28 > 0:35:31with one of his little temper tantrums that goes on for hours.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33He needs a lot of reassurance.
0:35:33 > 0:35:37A lot of kids with special needs do. They just can't accept things and...
0:35:37 > 0:35:40Hence him having to see you and you having to be in the kitchen
0:35:40 > 0:35:42and see him and all those things, it's...
0:35:42 > 0:35:43Yeah, so if he's having one of those days
0:35:43 > 0:35:46and he needs his reassurance, he just wants you there all the time.
0:35:46 > 0:35:50If there are people out there now who have just had a child
0:35:50 > 0:35:52and are dealing with these issues
0:35:52 > 0:35:55at this point, what would you say to them,
0:35:55 > 0:35:57what's the first process?
0:35:57 > 0:36:00I think the first part is the grieving process.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03No-one ever thinks they're going to end up with a disabled child.
0:36:03 > 0:36:07It's just not what you think, I don't know...
0:36:07 > 0:36:10And then you've just got to deal with that
0:36:10 > 0:36:13and you do a lot of crying and...
0:36:13 > 0:36:17Not always in public, a lot of it is just sort of crying all on your own.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19I remember the consultant saying to me
0:36:19 > 0:36:21you will reach a point of acceptance
0:36:21 > 0:36:25and I remember real tears running down my face and that and going,
0:36:25 > 0:36:27"I'll never accept this."
0:36:27 > 0:36:31I was really like, "I'm going to physio this child out of it."
0:36:31 > 0:36:36You're never going to physio a child out of quadriplegic cerebral palsy,
0:36:36 > 0:36:38but I just couldn't accept it at that point.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40I think it would be fair to say
0:36:40 > 0:36:42that you're not somebody who likes to be helped?
0:36:42 > 0:36:45Actually, of all the people that we've ever gone to help,
0:36:45 > 0:36:48you're the person most conflicted about us coming to help.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50Really? Ever, ever?
0:36:50 > 0:36:52Yeah, I think so, probably.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55I really like helping people, I really get a buzz out of it
0:36:55 > 0:36:58and I really don't like it when people help me. I'm terrible at it.
0:36:58 > 0:37:00I did actually cry
0:37:00 > 0:37:02when I found out that you guys were coming, it was just such a relief.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07You know, home should be a place to unwind.
0:37:07 > 0:37:11Not the stress-filled prison that it has become for Sam.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13But with new bedrooms to look forward to,
0:37:13 > 0:37:15at least the kids should be well catered for.
0:37:16 > 0:37:20Olivia is getting a room to suit her highest architectural aspirations
0:37:20 > 0:37:22and in Ewan's room Oliver is in playful mood
0:37:22 > 0:37:25and commissioned a special print based on the Olympics.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29I liked it because I knew what it was, I got it right.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34The Olympic rings and we had a great Olympics, didn't we?
0:37:34 > 0:37:36Two years ago, fabulous Olympics.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40And it turns out that Billy has a bit of form for the Olympics.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43Listen, in my day, when I was a cyclist for Whelan Wheelers
0:37:43 > 0:37:45it was a choice between me
0:37:45 > 0:37:48and Brendan McKeown to represent Great Britain
0:37:48 > 0:37:50at the Rome Olympics... in Tokyo.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52The Rome Olympics in Tokyo?
0:37:52 > 0:37:56I remember them both. And who got chosen?
0:37:56 > 0:37:58- Brendan.- Did he?
0:37:58 > 0:38:00Yeah, and he won a bronze medal.
0:38:00 > 0:38:01See, I was going to go
0:38:01 > 0:38:03and meet the family this afternoon up at the velodrome.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06I thought you might like to go along and meet instead.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09- You could demonstrate you know... - My skills.- Yeah.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12When I started riding, drop handlebars come in.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15- Yes.- And, instead of having a little gear stick like that,
0:38:15 > 0:38:19you had a special gears that went five gears in a big hub like that.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21That's right and like you had one big wheel at the front
0:38:21 > 0:38:24- and one little wheel at the back, didn't you?- That was my grandad.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26Was it? While Billy gets kitted up,
0:38:26 > 0:38:29Oliver has got his work cut-out with the tiling.
0:38:29 > 0:38:31The chimneybreast is all done,
0:38:31 > 0:38:35but there's more fiddly tiles in Ewan's wet room and now the kitchen.
0:38:36 > 0:38:41OK, so basically these tiles can go in all sorts of directions,
0:38:41 > 0:38:43so they can go a bit like that
0:38:43 > 0:38:47so you have a bit of a starburst, or like that.
0:38:47 > 0:38:48I think it's one of the problems on this job
0:38:48 > 0:38:50is that we seem to have a lot of tiling now.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53We've got chippies, we've got plumbers...
0:38:53 > 0:38:55Why have we got a lot of tiling, Oliver?
0:38:55 > 0:38:57Because normally, we have loads of tilers just
0:38:57 > 0:38:59sitting around going, "What shall I do?"
0:38:59 > 0:39:01and we get them all on the plasterwork.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04- I guess it's the design, is it? - Yeah, yeah, that's right.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06That's why we've got a lot of tiling.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10Yeah, well, we've got that fireplace wall which is... What do you think?
0:39:10 > 0:39:15Oh, it's fantastic and whoever did it did an absolutely smashing job.
0:39:15 > 0:39:16We've got tiles on the kitchen.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18Oi, oi, oi! Don't be dissing the bloody trades.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20"It's because we haven't got enough tilers."
0:39:20 > 0:39:23- It's you've designed too much tiling.- My design.- Yeah.
0:39:23 > 0:39:25Yeah, but normally, we have a tiler in here.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27- How many tilers have we got?- None.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30- But, c'mon, one... - We've got none. No, we've got none.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32We surely need at least one.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37- No, he's not a...- But you've got every bloody room with tiles in it.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39Look at that there,
0:39:39 > 0:39:41look, now that's not just a simple everyday bit of tiling, is it?
0:39:41 > 0:39:45- No, exactly.- Right, that took three blokes two days.
0:39:45 > 0:39:46That's fantastic.
0:39:46 > 0:39:51Yeah, so don't be dissing the trades. It's the amount of tiling.
0:39:51 > 0:39:55And this isn't your Joe standard splash back, is it to be fair?
0:39:55 > 0:39:56Am I the Joe standard designer?
0:39:56 > 0:39:59- Plainly, you're not. - Thank... Thankfully.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02But don't dis the trades and we're going to get over this all right,
0:40:02 > 0:40:04so you just get your head around the design
0:40:04 > 0:40:06and leave the tiling to the tilers.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08- No, no, I'm not dissing anybody. - You were.
0:40:08 > 0:40:09If they're not here, I'm not dissing them.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13- Can I get on with it now? - I think you better.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15Chris was quite emotional there, wasn't he?
0:40:15 > 0:40:17Avoiding the heat in the kitchen,
0:40:17 > 0:40:20we're taking the chance to give the family a day out.
0:40:20 > 0:40:23Ben is a keen triathlete. He's even been known to team up with Ewan,
0:40:23 > 0:40:27but with Billy's cycling pedigree, Herne Hill Velodrome
0:40:27 > 0:40:29seemed the obvious place to put them head-to-head.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32We've got our very own champion to take you on.
0:40:32 > 0:40:34Look at that fine figure of a man.
0:40:36 > 0:40:40Most people have got a six pack. I've got a keg.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43It's a few years since I've done this, sausage,
0:40:43 > 0:40:46- but are you ready to eat dirt? - Yeah, I'm ready.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49Come on then, Ben. Bill and Ben, you're a weed!
0:40:49 > 0:40:52Here we go, are you ready?
0:40:52 > 0:40:54Is that kid clear over there?
0:40:57 > 0:40:59He's gone, he's gone.
0:41:03 > 0:41:04Oh, he's caught him already.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06No, I didn't know we was racing.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08MUSIC: I'm An Easy Rider by Johnny Cash
0:41:12 > 0:41:15Yeah, it's a bit like the tortoise and the hare really.
0:41:15 > 0:41:17No prizes for guessing which is which.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27Go one more lap and see if you can lap him.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30After Easy Rider, here's our queasy rider.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32We thought a two lap race would be enough for Billy.
0:41:32 > 0:41:34On reflection, maybe we should have stuck to just the one.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39Where is he then?
0:41:39 > 0:41:41He finished, went home and had a cup of tea.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44He said he'd see you after he's had a shower.
0:41:44 > 0:41:48Bill, you all right? What you need is a paramedic.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51- You haven't lost it, have you? - Did you notice?
0:41:51 > 0:41:54Yeah, you just left it in the car. I saw it on the front seat.
0:41:54 > 0:41:58Did you notice the skill when I was on the inside I took the...
0:41:58 > 0:42:00I was slightly worried by the technique,
0:42:00 > 0:42:03where instead of your knees going forward your knees appeared
0:42:03 > 0:42:06to be going out the side like that which was an interesting...
0:42:06 > 0:42:10Things have changed since I did it. It's more aerodynamic now.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12Here he comes. Listen, we better give him a big cheer
0:42:12 > 0:42:15when he comes in because he won by, he won by three laps,
0:42:15 > 0:42:18so given it was only a two lap race it was quite...
0:42:18 > 0:42:20Yes, it was a walkover or a ride over maybe.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23Back on site the race is still on to get the house finished.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25The end of the tiling is almost in sight.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28So all of the builders have jumped on the tiling and Julian is pulling
0:42:28 > 0:42:32his weight and doing the grouting, grabbing the glory, aren't you?
0:42:32 > 0:42:34- Yeah.- Oliver's reclaimed timber walls are going up
0:42:34 > 0:42:38and the decorators are storming on.
0:42:38 > 0:42:40You sit at home and you think they're never going to do
0:42:40 > 0:42:43it in nine days and you moan at the television
0:42:43 > 0:42:45if they're going to do it, and now I'm going to be proved wrong.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48The lads have taken Oliver's reclaimed timber idea a step further
0:42:48 > 0:42:52and crafted an outdoor kitchen from a load of old scaffold planks.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54This goes to show the fantastic creativity,
0:42:54 > 0:42:58not just dedication, of the people we've got working here.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01Look at this. This is actually a thing of beauty.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04Of course, it's about so much more than looking good.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06It's about providing all the practical needs
0:43:06 > 0:43:08for a family who've struggled.
0:43:10 > 0:43:12As the last minutes of the final day tick away,
0:43:12 > 0:43:15our willing army of trades make the big push.
0:43:16 > 0:43:18I just heard about the little disabled boy
0:43:18 > 0:43:21and thought I'd come over here and do some work for charity
0:43:21 > 0:43:24for a change instead of taking everyone's money.
0:43:24 > 0:43:26Are you off to Ascot?
0:43:26 > 0:43:28- Hat, does it suit me? - Yeah.
0:43:28 > 0:43:31- Nice, innit? Green's my colour, innit?- It is.
0:43:31 > 0:43:33Suits his complexion.
0:43:33 > 0:43:34The place is unrecognisable
0:43:34 > 0:43:37as the home that was working against the family
0:43:37 > 0:43:39and holding Ewan's progress back.
0:43:39 > 0:43:41So how do you think you're going to feel at the end
0:43:41 > 0:43:42when the family get this back?
0:43:42 > 0:43:44It's going to be emotional for most of the guys,
0:43:44 > 0:43:48because they've put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this.
0:43:48 > 0:43:50And when they see the reaction of the family,
0:43:50 > 0:43:53I think it's going to be...quite emotional to be honest.
0:43:56 > 0:43:58Nine days ago, we met two paramedics
0:43:58 > 0:44:02who had spent their working lives helping others.
0:44:02 > 0:44:06It's long hours and it can be quite draining emotionally.
0:44:06 > 0:44:08But when Ewan, their second child,
0:44:08 > 0:44:12was born with cerebral palsy, their home lives were turned upside-down.
0:44:12 > 0:44:17They said to us Ewan's got a catastrophic brain injury.
0:44:17 > 0:44:19He's going to be disabled for the rest of his life.
0:44:19 > 0:44:22Your marriage will probably break down
0:44:22 > 0:44:25and it's going to be the hardest thing you've ever done.
0:44:25 > 0:44:29You do a lot of sort of crying, not always in public.
0:44:29 > 0:44:32A lot of it is just sort of crying on your own.
0:44:32 > 0:44:34Though they've made the best of things,
0:44:34 > 0:44:36life has been a constant struggle
0:44:36 > 0:44:39in a house totally inappropriate for a child with a disability.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42He needs that constant reassurance that we're there,
0:44:42 > 0:44:45and visually he hasn't got that because of the walls.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48- Every time I leave the room he starts shouting at me.- Mummy!
0:44:48 > 0:44:50He just wants me to be there with him.
0:44:50 > 0:44:53He really makes me feel imprisoned. It's horrible.
0:44:53 > 0:44:56But as people who help others every day,
0:44:56 > 0:45:00they've been strangely reluctant to accept help themselves.
0:45:00 > 0:45:04I think sometimes it's easier to pretend there's not a problem
0:45:04 > 0:45:09or that you are coping and this is just the way life is.
0:45:09 > 0:45:11Well, not any more.
0:45:11 > 0:45:14To return the favour they give to others every day,
0:45:14 > 0:45:15we've made a few changes.
0:45:15 > 0:45:19Downstairs we removed the walls to make an open-plan space
0:45:19 > 0:45:22where the family can see each other and feel secure.
0:45:22 > 0:45:25Filled with life-enhancing natural materials
0:45:25 > 0:45:27around a beautiful slate fireplace,
0:45:27 > 0:45:31it's where Ewan can develop to his full potential.
0:45:33 > 0:45:36Replacing the garage we built a modern extension
0:45:36 > 0:45:40with a bedroom for Ewan inspired by his love for sport,
0:45:40 > 0:45:41and with a wet room,
0:45:41 > 0:45:44Mum and Dad will no longer have to carry him upstairs.
0:45:46 > 0:45:48After six years sharing their bed with Ewan,
0:45:48 > 0:45:51we can now reunite Ben and Sam in their own room
0:45:51 > 0:45:55with its reclaimed timber bed and floor-to-ceiling wardrobes.
0:45:57 > 0:45:59Beautiful, isn't it?
0:45:59 > 0:46:03And Olivia's room has become an architect-inspired bedroom
0:46:03 > 0:46:06for a girl who has sacrificed so much for her little brother.
0:46:08 > 0:46:11In the garden, we've created a space that is accessible,
0:46:11 > 0:46:16functional and fun with a covered deck to use in all weathers.
0:46:16 > 0:46:19An outdoor kitchen will allow them to cook and eat here,
0:46:19 > 0:46:22and with access via a ramp for Ewan,
0:46:22 > 0:46:24they'll be able to hang out and play.
0:46:24 > 0:46:26So, after a life helping others,
0:46:26 > 0:46:28now it's time to be on the receiving end.
0:46:28 > 0:46:31This is a big moment after all this time of making do
0:46:31 > 0:46:35and getting on with it yourselves to see what everyone's managed
0:46:35 > 0:46:38to achieve for you, so, if you're ready,
0:46:38 > 0:46:41we need you to open your eyes.
0:46:44 > 0:46:45Wow.
0:46:45 > 0:46:46Wow.
0:46:48 > 0:46:49Amazing.
0:46:52 > 0:46:54- Oh, I love it. - I'm shaking.
0:46:55 > 0:46:58We can cook and see him.
0:46:58 > 0:47:00Wow.
0:47:00 > 0:47:02Are you sure this is our house? You've not...
0:47:02 > 0:47:04Yes, this used to be the little square room where your kitchen was
0:47:04 > 0:47:07and this used to be your little square room
0:47:07 > 0:47:09where your dining room was.
0:47:09 > 0:47:12If we move through then you'll see that it's very open-plan,
0:47:12 > 0:47:14we've taken the walls out just as we were told to by your daughter
0:47:14 > 0:47:18to create all this extra space and also give Ewan the room to manoeuvre
0:47:18 > 0:47:22around in the space so he can be part of the family the whole time.
0:47:22 > 0:47:23It's perfect.
0:47:25 > 0:47:27This is your tablet.
0:47:27 > 0:47:29And if we go on here and we look at the lights
0:47:29 > 0:47:32and you fade all the lights up, fade all the lights down.
0:47:32 > 0:47:35- Wow.- And in fact you can control all of the lights
0:47:35 > 0:47:37throughout the building from your tablet.
0:47:37 > 0:47:42The only difficulty is it also means that if Ewan hacks into it,
0:47:42 > 0:47:44he can be in his room
0:47:44 > 0:47:48and turn all the lights down for you and do a disco in here for you.
0:47:52 > 0:47:54Oh, my God, look at the wallpaper.
0:47:56 > 0:47:58You are very clever.
0:47:58 > 0:48:00Now, you mentioned the wallpaper straight away.
0:48:00 > 0:48:03There's an artist called Rachel Whiteread,
0:48:03 > 0:48:07she came up with design for the Olympics
0:48:07 > 0:48:10and has personally given her permission
0:48:10 > 0:48:12for us to put it up because we told them
0:48:12 > 0:48:15that Ewan was really interested in the Paralympics and stuff.
0:48:15 > 0:48:18Oh, do you know the Paralympics was such a change in our lives.
0:48:18 > 0:48:22It was such an amazing event and it came just at the right time,
0:48:22 > 0:48:25just at the time he was just really struggling and it just showed you
0:48:25 > 0:48:28what disabled people can accomplish. It was amazing.
0:48:28 > 0:48:32Oh, that's lovely, thank you.
0:48:32 > 0:48:34It obviously means a lot this.
0:48:35 > 0:48:39It's life-changing, it's massive. Do you want a tissue?
0:48:39 > 0:48:40Thank you.
0:48:42 > 0:48:47- Wow.- Wait until he sees it. He's going to love it, isn't he?
0:48:47 > 0:48:49- His first bedroom at six.- Yeah.
0:48:52 > 0:48:55- Oh, wow.- Wow.
0:48:58 > 0:49:00It's so big, isn't it?
0:49:00 > 0:49:05- It's just amazing, and you can get his chair under here?- Yes.
0:49:05 > 0:49:10Wash his hands, he loves washing his hands, turning the taps on and off.
0:49:10 > 0:49:12He will sit there for hours now and do that.
0:49:12 > 0:49:14He's going to get water everywhere.
0:49:14 > 0:49:16He's never going to come out, that's the problem.
0:49:16 > 0:49:21It's just nice that he's got his own space and at last.
0:49:21 > 0:49:23Also, for us very important
0:49:23 > 0:49:26that Olivia had something a little special too.
0:49:28 > 0:49:30Oh, wow.
0:49:30 > 0:49:32And if you look at the wall there's all the buildings
0:49:32 > 0:49:35cos she wants to be an architect,
0:49:35 > 0:49:37and the design of the bed has been bespoke made for her.
0:49:37 > 0:49:39That is so different, isn't it?
0:49:39 > 0:49:44She deserved this as much as anyone. She puts up with an awful lot.
0:49:44 > 0:49:47She's been a little rock, hasn't she?
0:49:47 > 0:49:50She keeps us grounded sometimes, and when it's tough, she just...
0:49:52 > 0:49:53..makes everything all right.
0:49:53 > 0:49:57With the kids sorted, what about something for the parents
0:49:57 > 0:49:59who haven't shared a bed for six years?
0:49:59 > 0:50:00Step in. In you go.
0:50:02 > 0:50:03Wow.
0:50:05 > 0:50:08- That's amazing. - Cool, isn't it?
0:50:08 > 0:50:11- Is it all right?- Yeah a proper grown-up...- An adult room.
0:50:13 > 0:50:16Let's make a sign for the door, "No kids!"
0:50:18 > 0:50:20And, of course, the difficulty has always been that one of you has
0:50:20 > 0:50:23had to be with Ewan at all times, so what we've done instead is
0:50:23 > 0:50:28if we go onto your tablet press this button here.
0:50:28 > 0:50:29Wow.
0:50:29 > 0:50:30And as you can see there,
0:50:30 > 0:50:32there's a really clear picture of Ewan's bed,
0:50:32 > 0:50:34but it means that you have it constantly here,
0:50:34 > 0:50:36you prop it up in here and...
0:50:36 > 0:50:38- I would worry otherwise.- Yeah.
0:50:38 > 0:50:43Can you see that life should get easier in a lot of different ways
0:50:43 > 0:50:46because of the way the house has been re-designed?
0:50:46 > 0:50:49It's like a new life, isn't it? It's just going to change so much.
0:50:49 > 0:50:52- As much as that, as much as a different as that?- Yeah.
0:50:52 > 0:50:54To be fair it has been a hell of a hill to climb.
0:50:54 > 0:50:55We were talking and you were saying that
0:50:55 > 0:50:58there was a point that you were actually told that you had to go up
0:50:58 > 0:51:00and say goodbye to him in hospital
0:51:00 > 0:51:03because the machine was going to be switched off. It's just...
0:51:03 > 0:51:08If that was the low point, maybe this is the change-over point.
0:51:08 > 0:51:11Yeah, this is definitely a turning point. It's lovely.
0:51:14 > 0:51:18- You are allowed to hug by the way. - But I never see her.
0:51:18 > 0:51:22Well, this might be the moment when everyone's so emotional.
0:51:22 > 0:51:23If you don't, I'm going to.
0:51:27 > 0:51:29Well, that's Mum and Dad happy.
0:51:29 > 0:51:32Now it's time for Ewan to see his very first bedroom.
0:51:42 > 0:51:43Whose room is this?
0:51:44 > 0:51:46Me.
0:51:46 > 0:51:48- Do you like it?- Yeah.
0:51:48 > 0:51:49Can you see your bed?
0:51:51 > 0:51:53Wait, where's the other gone?
0:51:55 > 0:52:01Ewan, how much do you like it? What number would you give it?
0:52:01 > 0:52:02Eight or nine.
0:52:02 > 0:52:05Right, we've got something else to show you though.
0:52:05 > 0:52:07Go and have a look at your new bathroom. This is just for you.
0:52:10 > 0:52:14Look at that! Is it good?
0:52:16 > 0:52:19And judging by Ewan's reaction, the wet room scores even more.
0:52:19 > 0:52:23Well, about time we showed you what we've done for you, I suppose.
0:52:23 > 0:52:25Obviously, we've mainly being doing the house
0:52:25 > 0:52:27with the living room and dining room.
0:52:27 > 0:52:30We haven't had much time to do extra stuff upstairs, but...
0:52:30 > 0:52:33Do you want to come and see the house? Yeah? Come with me.
0:52:36 > 0:52:37This is your room.
0:52:40 > 0:52:42- What do you think?- It's cool.
0:52:44 > 0:52:45You just spend so much of your time
0:52:45 > 0:52:48looking after Ewan and everybody else,
0:52:48 > 0:52:50it's important that you have your own space, isn't it?
0:52:52 > 0:52:55I genuinely, I don't think I've ever seen you this quiet.
0:52:55 > 0:52:58- It's because it's so amazing. - Is it really?
0:52:58 > 0:53:00I don't know what to say.
0:53:01 > 0:53:03- Ah.- And what do you think of the whole house,
0:53:03 > 0:53:06the whole house for the family?
0:53:06 > 0:53:07It's just the best house.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12Of course, none of them have a clue what we've done outside.
0:53:13 > 0:53:15Wow!
0:53:20 > 0:53:21Wow.
0:53:24 > 0:53:25Everyone's gone quiet again.
0:53:25 > 0:53:27Wow, that's amazing.
0:53:27 > 0:53:28Nice and gentle.
0:53:30 > 0:53:32This is awesome.
0:53:36 > 0:53:38Let's play ball.
0:53:38 > 0:53:41- Do you want to play basketball?- Yes.
0:53:41 > 0:53:43- What's this? - It's an outdoor kitchen,
0:53:43 > 0:53:47so you've got hot and cold running water, sink and a cooker.
0:53:49 > 0:53:51I can clean my bikes here, can't I?
0:53:51 > 0:53:53Would you clean your bike on the inside kitchen?
0:53:53 > 0:53:54Yes, he would.
0:53:56 > 0:53:58- Here they come. - Show the basketball.
0:53:58 > 0:54:00He wants you to show you the basketball.
0:54:00 > 0:54:03- Show me the basketball.- Go and have a wander through the garden.
0:54:03 > 0:54:04I'll go down the steps.
0:54:06 > 0:54:08Ready.
0:54:12 > 0:54:14- Did it go in?- Yes.
0:54:14 > 0:54:17I think it's safe to say the garden's a success, don't you?
0:54:17 > 0:54:19How on earth did they move that?
0:54:19 > 0:54:20- How?- Yeah.
0:54:20 > 0:54:22Yeah, yeah, you don't want to know.
0:54:26 > 0:54:29Oh, my goodness, Olivia.
0:54:29 > 0:54:31Better than the old den?
0:54:31 > 0:54:32- Yeah.- Brilliant, innit?
0:54:32 > 0:54:34It's a family home now,
0:54:34 > 0:54:36as opposed to just being a place where you come home
0:54:36 > 0:54:39and sleep and get up.
0:54:39 > 0:54:41And for the kids, as well, just so much better.
0:54:43 > 0:54:45Life going to be easier now?
0:54:45 > 0:54:47Yeah, a lot and happier.
0:54:47 > 0:54:48This one here?
0:54:49 > 0:54:53- I just feel less stressed already. - Really?
0:54:53 > 0:54:57Yeah. I just feel less like it's a drag to come home.
0:54:57 > 0:54:59It's not the kids, it's just the environment,
0:54:59 > 0:55:03it wasn't conducive to... Everything was difficult from day-in-day-out
0:55:03 > 0:55:07it's that kind of constant grind that I feel is gone.
0:55:07 > 0:55:09You do what you do to help people
0:55:09 > 0:55:12and this is what builders and suppliers do.
0:55:13 > 0:55:15Do you want to meet some of the people that did it?
0:55:17 > 0:55:18We should really, shouldn't we?
0:55:22 > 0:55:25APPLAUSE
0:55:36 > 0:55:38Wow, there's so many of you.
0:55:38 > 0:55:40I just think,
0:55:40 > 0:55:44all you guys have given up all your time for free for us
0:55:44 > 0:55:49and it just seems a bit, it's quite overwhelming to be honest.
0:55:49 > 0:55:51We're quite humbled so we can't thank you enough.
0:55:51 > 0:55:52It's incredible. Thank you.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55Nick kept saying to us you don't look like you want our help
0:55:55 > 0:55:58and there's so much pride in sort of doing everything yourself
0:55:58 > 0:56:01and surviving but I think that's what we have been doing.
0:56:01 > 0:56:05We've been surviving really and just getting through,
0:56:05 > 0:56:06but now this beautiful place
0:56:06 > 0:56:10is really going to make such a difference to our lives
0:56:10 > 0:56:13and I think it's going to make so much progress now in his new place.
0:56:15 > 0:56:17It will be our sanctuary, thank you so much.
0:56:17 > 0:56:19You should applaud yourselves.
0:56:19 > 0:56:20You've done an amazing thing this week
0:56:20 > 0:56:23and we're very proud of you, thank you very much.
0:56:34 > 0:56:35How are you?
0:56:35 > 0:56:38You all right? You've got an army of helpers here, all this lot.
0:56:38 > 0:56:41You know, I was thinking you wouldn't be much good as a paramedic
0:56:41 > 0:56:43if you were an overly emotional type,
0:56:43 > 0:56:46if you burst into tears every time you saw something upsetting.
0:56:46 > 0:56:49They have to deal with the most difficult circumstances
0:56:49 > 0:56:51and so as a result...
0:56:52 > 0:56:53..they find it difficult
0:56:53 > 0:56:56to accept that people would want to come forward and help them.
0:56:56 > 0:56:59We rely on paramedics. Some people can be paramedics,
0:56:59 > 0:57:02some people can make a lot of money and give it to charity
0:57:02 > 0:57:03and some people can build.
0:57:03 > 0:57:06What these builders have done is come and changed life around
0:57:06 > 0:57:09for young Ewan, future-proofed the house for the family.
0:57:11 > 0:57:13The next few years are looking a lot brighter
0:57:13 > 0:57:15because of the efforts that they've made.
0:57:15 > 0:57:18Maybe you know somebody who could use your help -
0:57:18 > 0:57:19whatever help that is.
0:57:27 > 0:57:29There are so many people, aren't there?
0:57:29 > 0:57:31- What to you think of your shed?- Really nice.
0:57:33 > 0:57:36Thank you so much.
0:57:37 > 0:57:40- Hello, darling. How are you? - Do you like it?
0:57:41 > 0:57:43Did an awful lot of tiling.
0:57:46 > 0:57:48Paul's been here right from the start.
0:57:48 > 0:57:51I like the basketball net best.