The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A TV transformation of the home of a severely disabled girl will be revealed on Monday.
Presenter Nick Knowles and the DIY SOS team moved in to Dakota Read’s home in Weston Hills in February last year and over the course of a week completely remodelled the bungalow to help the youngster live an easier, happier and hopefully longer life.
Dakota has quadriplegic dystonic cerebral palsy and is unable to walk or talk.
Her mum Paula had been told by doctors that Dakota’s life expectancy would be greatly improved if she was more mobile – but space restrictions in their home made it really difficult.
Dakota’s brother Jake had also been relegated to sleep in the shed to make more space for Dakota and her carers.
The DIY SOS team drafted in an army of local tradesmen – from builders to plasterers, tilers to decorators – to transform the bungalow and the lives of Dakota’s family – but the details of what they achieved have been kept under wraps until now.
But that will all change on Monday at 9pm when the episode of DIY SOS is aired on BBC1.
And it is likely to be an emotional show as viewers see Nick Knowles lead Paula and Dakota through the newly-decorated and equipped house, before they step outside to thank the tradesmen and others who made it all possible.
Addressing them, Paula said: “You have given Dakota the one thing I have been unable to do – space to move around. I can’t thank you enough.”
But the appearance of the inside of the bungalow will be no surprise to one former Spalding resident.
Khara Stibbons, whose parents Theo and Melanie still live in the town, is a freelance production editor, who was called in to work her magic on an episode of DIY SOS – not knowing it was an episode filmed so close to her own home town.
The 33-year-old former Spalding High School girl said: “My job is to sit down with the director in the editing suite and then take his ideas and put together the footage into a story.
“I had been asked to do five weeks’ work to edit a DIY SOS and when I turned up on the first day I realised the episode had been filmed in Spalding.
“It was wonderful to see something filmed in Spalding and I was looking out to see if I knew anyone, although I didn’t recognise anyone.
“It was great to see what the team achieved which will enable Dakota to move around more and make life better for her and her family.”
