To help ring in the holiday season, Paragon Building Group, Inc. partnered with other area contractors to change one woman’s life. What life-changing powers do local contractors have? Just ask Kelly Dowless of Johnston County.
Kelly lived a quaint life as a wife and mother of two, and loved her job as a Kindergarten teacher’s assistant at Johnston County Schools. However, one day in 2000, she began experiencing numbness in her leg, and in 48 short hours was paralyzed from the chest down.
Kelly was diagnosed with the debilitating neurological disorder Transverse Myelitis, and has been wheelchair-bound ever since.
While she’s adapted to her new life over the years, there are still certain obstacles that remain, including her bathroom.
Kelly finally attempted to remodel her bathroom to be handicapped accessible, but was stunned at the whopping estimate of $35,000 to complete the project – a price tag she could not afford.
Paragon Building Group steps in
That’s when Paragon Building Group’s own Joshua B. Mauney and Distinctive Remodeling’s Eddie Casanave heard Kelly’s story and were moved to act. Instead of the annual Christmas card, this year Mauney and Casanave decided to gift Kelly with an authentic Christmas miracle: a completely handicapped accessible bathroom free of charge!
100% of labor and equipment has been donated for the 3-week renovation that started on November 30. It is scheduled to be finished before Christmas Day.
To commence the demolition, Kelly did the honors with the first swing of the hammer into her bathroom wall, and crews took it from there.
Just in time for Christmas!
On the Wednesday before Christmas, Mauney and Casanave unveiled Kelly’s brand new bathroom. For the first time in five years, Kelly can enjoy a handicapped-accessible bathroom.
Blown away by her newfound independence, Kelly was almost speechless as she thanked all the contractors involved. But a new bathroom wasn’t all she’d receive this Christmas.
The construction team surprised Kelly with a gift of $5,000 to help with any other family needs. The money was raised by numerous organizations, including the April Stephens Team and the Johnston County Building Industry Association.
While much hard work went into the remodel, the decision to give Kelly her independence was an easy one to make, and one that Paragon and all other contractors involved can be proud of for years to come.
Watch the ABC 11 story below!
Contractors involved
Joshua B. Mauney – Paragon Building Group, Inc.
Eddie Casanave – Distinctive Remodeling LLC
Dave Cowick – Remodeling Solutions LLC
Ralph Paul – Best Tile of Raleigh
Scott Talbert – Talbert Building Supply
Jill & Joe Murphy – Cary Granite
Nicole L. Gossage – Ferguson’s of Raleigh
Jeromy Godwin & Jonathan Pourron – Barbour & Pourron Plumbing & Service
Chris Conrad – CMC Electric, LLC
Craig Losurdo – Custom Tile Installations
Jeff Ayscue – Ayscue’s Trimwork, Inc.
April Stephens – The April Stephens Team – RE/MAX One Realty
Jay Lloyd – Delta Gypsum
Sherry Piney-Phillips – Johnston County Building Industry Association
Mario Irias – MI Drywall
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