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Dad thanks DIY SOS team for son's 'miracle' homecoming

Lynette HorsburghNorth West
News imageRoger Moore A crowd of people wearing high-visibility safety vests and hard hats gather outside a house transformed by BBC One's DIY SOS team. In the centre foreground, is Dan who has brown hair holding his mum, Julie's hand. He is smiling. On the right, a camera operator films the scene. Several people are wearing hard hats with signatures or handwritten markings, and hi-vis vests. Bright sunlight illuminates the group.Roger Moore
Dan's dad Nigel said the family were "so pleased" to be back in Freckleton "where we belong"

The father of a teenager whose "miracle" return home was made possible by the BBC's DIY SOS has said the experience was "humbling" and a reminder that "there are a lot of good people out there".

Seventeen-year-old Dan, from Freckleton, Lancashire, had been in hospital in Manchester for years after a life-saving operation to remove a brain tumour left him with complex disabilities.

Dan needs non-invasive ventilation at nights but his family home required major adaptations for him to receive the treatment there.

His father, Nigel, told BBC Radio Lancashire after the transformation was aired on BBC One on Tuesday: "When your life is turned upside down you have to learn to live again."

After spending nearly three years at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Dan was ready to come home long before then, but because his home was not wheelchair accessible, he was forced to stay in hospital.

His mother Julie was living at the hospital while dad, Nigel, stayed at home so he could continue to work to make sure the family had enough money for basic needs.

While things looked bleak, DIY SOS stepped in and did one of its most complex projects the team had ever undertaken.

News imageRoger Moore A bright, accessible bedroom with blue-and-white striped walls, featuring a hospital-style bed, bedside table with a lamp, and a cushioned armchair. Two framed Manchester City football shirts hang above the bed, including a shirt displaying the name “Haaland” and the number 9. Built-in shelves, wooden flooring, and an open doorway leading to an adjoining accessible bathroom complete the room.Roger Moore
Dan is a die-hard Manchester City fan and loves his new bedroom, his dad says

Knowles originally said the plans were "nuts" as the loft only had 4in beams rather than the required 6in for the loft conversion and extension.

However, the team and dozens of volunteers helped take the whole roof off and completely rebuilt it to make it structurally sound in a day for the loft conversion and extension.

Nigel said he was "so overwhelmed" when he first walked through the door.

News imageBBC/South Shore Productions/Roger Moore DIY SOS Nick Knowles and Chris Frediani wearing purple branded shirts and white hard hats lean on a container filled with roof tiles at a building site. Scaffolding and workers are visible in the background, with one hard hat displaying the name “NICK” and another displaying “CHRIS.” CopyrightBBC/South Shore Productions/Roger Moore
DIY SOS's Nick Knowles (left) originally said the ambitious plans were "nuts" but the team and volunteers did it

It was 18 months ago, but the emotional moment was first broadcast on Tuesday evening.

"We didn't get to know what it would look like. We didn't have any choice in colours or anything like that. It was a total surprise and I was just so in awe that I could finally get him home," Nigel said.

News imageRoger Moore Modern L-shaped kitchen with pale blue shaker-style cabinets, white countertops and integrated oven. A black induction hob sits beneath under-cabinet lighting, while floor-to-ceiling storage cupboards line one wall. Wooden utensils, a casserole dish, and bowls of vegetables are displayed on the worktops, with warm wood flooring and recessed ceiling lights completing the bright, contemporary space.Roger Moore
The kitchen was also transformed in the build

"It's like a show home - and it is done with love," he said.

"You can feel it in every room... I can feel the love that's in this house."

He said his son was a die-hard Manchester City fan and his Blues-themed bedroom was "amazing".

News imageRoger Moore Rear view of a modern, single-storey home extension with wide sliding glass doors opening on to a raised deck enclosed by white railings. A landscaped garden with a lawn, gravel pathway and raised flower beds leads to the property, while neighbouring houses and a covered seating area are visible on either side.Roger Moore
The DIY SOS team also adapted the garden as part of the renovation

Nigel said: "We actually had a Christmas together in our own home and had people round."

He added the family were "so pleased" to all be back in Freckleton "where we belong".

News imageRoger Moore An accessible bathroom with dark blue wall tiles, featuring a level-access wet room shower, toilet and ceiling-mounted hoist system. A changing bench is positioned along one wall, while a storage trolley holding folded towels and toiletries sits beneath the shower. The room is designed to support assisted bathing and personal care.Roger Moore
A "huge" wet room which is tracked means Dan can move from his bedroom straight into the bathroom and have a bath or shower

Nigel said the team got the transformation done so quickly which was "phenomenal" and the organisation was like an "incredible machine".

He said the difference in Dan since coming out of that sterile environment in hospital and the family being back together "is just huge".

"Now on weekends he goes to the cinema, he goes bowling, he goes everywhere," he said.

News imageRoger Moore A large crowd of the DIY SOS team, volunteers and contractors wearing high-visibility safety vests and hard hats gather on a grassy field at a construction and community event. People stand in small groups talking across the site, while portable toilets, marquees, parked vehicles and residential houses are visible in the background. Tall trees line the edge of the field under bright sunshine and a clear sky. The scene shows a busy, well-attended volunteer project with hundreds of participants spread across the area.Roger Moore
The DIY SOS team said it was one of the most complex projects it has ever done but it got an incredible amount of volunteers and support from the local community

The team also built a "huge" wet room which is tracked for his hoisting system.

Nigel said: "He can go from his bed into [the bathroom] and he can bath or he can shower.

"They didn't just take the roof off they reconfigured how it is inside as well."

He said the extension was a family room with bi-fold doors on the back so "you can see out into the garden".

"It looks stunning," he said.

News imageDan wrapped in a patterned blanket sits outdoors beside a brick building, with Freddie and David Jackson in hooded sweatshirts. Freddie is wearing a high-visibility vest gives a thumbs-up while the other stands beside the wheelchair. Wooden fencing, picnic benches and a covered patio area are visible in the background.
Freddie, Dan's best friend, and David Jackson (right) who is one of Dan's carers were at a watch party when Bringing Dan Home was first broadcast on BBC One on Tuesday

Julie thanked every single person who helped "us get Dan home" so they could "all be together as one".

Dan's older sister, Charlotte, said: "I don't think you'll all realise how much of a big impact you've made to us all, so just thank you all so much from the bottom of my heart."

News imageRoger Moore Rev Tracy and Deacon Kim Gabbatiss wearing white hard hats, high-visibility yellow safety vests with DIY SOS logos, and outdoor work jackets stand together under a canopy at a construction site. Rev Tracy is wearing a clerical collar. Handwritten labels Rev Tracy and Deacon Kim are visible on both hard hats. They are volunteering in the build as part of the BBC One show DIY SOS.Roger Moore
Rev Tracy Swindells and Deacon Kim Gabbatiss were among the volunteers who helped with the build

Nigel said it was "truly life-changing for us".

The last few years have "just been terrible" and it had "seemed impossible some days".

"It's the small things that you miss. All the little things you take for granted. For us, though, all those small things are coming back and they can't happen soon enough for us.

"Without everyone's help this would not have happened and every time we sit around the table having dinner, we think of you and what you did for us."

News imageRoger Moore Contemporary living room with two light-coloured sofas and a matching armchair arranged around a patterned upholstered ottoman. A wood-burning stove sits within a traditional fireplace beneath a wall-mounted television, flanked by built-in shelving displaying framed photographs, ceramics and lamps. The room features wooden flooring, soft neutral decor, recessed ceiling lighting and large sliding glass doors that bring in natural light.Roger Moore
The living room has bi-folding doors leading to the garden

He added: "You can't help but be humbled about how many people have given up their time, companies giving materials to make this happen because without that it just wouldn't happen.

"I'm so grateful to everybody... I can't hammer home how many good people that are out there.

"It renews your faith in humankind."

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