WORK has begun to transform a paralysed Solihull dad’s house into a home.
Rob Lamb suffered a severe spinal cord injury when he fainted due to low blood pressure last October.
The 58-year-old was left paralysed from the chest down.
The quantity surveyor has been recovering at a rehabilitation centre in Oswestry but his home in Solihull needs specialist adaptations so he can live there safely.
After hearing about his situation, national construction charity Band of Builders stepped in and volunteers have descended on the family’s home, where Rob lives with his three sons, to make a range of adaptations for when he returns.
Since Saturday a team of 60 tradespeople from across the country have been making changes so the house is safe and comfortable for Rob, including creating a downstairs bedroom and wet room with specialist equipment for his condition.
The dad of four, who was widowed when wife Julie died suddenly in 2017, lives with sons Callum, Gavin and Mackenzie, who plays for West Bromwich Albion’s youth team.
Band of Builders is a registered charity that helps members of the UK construction industry battling illness or injury through the completion of practical projects.
Volunteers give up their time to work on projects, while materials are donated by the construction industry.
The charity has been joined on site by local companies including Pride in Gardens landscaping, SCH Solihull Brickwork, Linnett Electrical, and DJ Wright.
Dom Wilkinson, from Pride in Gardens landscaping, said: “We’re friends of Rob’s son Callum so know the family anyway and wanted to help.
“It’s been amazing to see how many people are chipping in and helping. It’s a horrible situation for the family to be in but hopefully this will make it slightly easier for them all.”
As well as providing manual labour pubs, private chefs and home cooks have been donating hot food to keep the team going.
On Saturday, Shirley resident Sonny Saharan cooked curry, rice and baked naan for them and delivered it to the site.
He said: “When I saw that Band of Builders were coming and needed a hot meal, I just wanted to do something to help.
“I’ve been cooking a lot in lockdown and people have enjoyed watching what I did on Instagram, so I thought I’d do something useful with my skills at the end of their first day.
“It’s the least we could do given what they’re all doing.”
A team of chefs from the Virgins and Castle pub in Kenilworth have also cooked for the team along with Coventry-based private chef Sophie Hyam.
