Burgess Hill father with brain damage gets new driveway: partner of wheelchair-bound man thanks Band of Builders for life-changing project
The family of a Burgess Hill father with brain damage has thanked Band of Builders (BoB) volunteers after they completed an 11-day project to lay a new driveway at their home.
Gordon ‘Pete’ Hart, 55, was a bricklayer but is now wheelchair-bound after a heart attack in April 2020 left him with hypoxic brain damage.
His partner Sam Horley, who gave up a 30-year career in the NHS to care for Pete, had been struggling to get him out of the house because their old driveway was so rutted.
She asked BoB for help and nearly 50 tradespeople from the construction charity answered the call.
Sam said: “Band of Builders has gone above and beyond what we were hoping for – which will be life-changing for Pete, as it means I can get him out of the house much easier. He was a bricklayer for more than 30 years, so he loves being outdoors. The hard work of everyone who volunteered on this project means we can get him outside to his happy place.”
BoB completes practical projects to help members of the UK construction industry who are ill or injured.
Pete, a father of two, needs round-the-clock care because he cannot use his arms, hands or legs. He also has epilepsy, diabetes and cortical blindness. The damaged driveway meant he was often late for rehabilitation sessions or missed them entirely.
After the heart attack, Pete was on a ventilator for three months and eventually showed signs of cognitive recovery, which meant he could be moved to a neurological rehabilitation hospital for five months.
Pete has complex needs so Sam battled to get him home and got funding to build an extension and remodel the downstairs of the house to incorporate a bedroom and bathroom. But the funding did not cover a wheelchair-friendly driveway so BoB stepped in to create one with parking spaces for carers. They also put down new paving at the side and rear of the home.
The project was sponsored by DEWALT while Sussex businesses donated materials and refreshments.
Project lead Tony Everett said: “This was a very straightforward project but will have a hugely beneficial impact on Pete’s quality of life.”