Dream Home Nears Completion

They took on this ambitious project five months ago. Their hope was to rebuild a family's home - with the help of only volunteers.

Tuesday, February 24th 2009, 11:05 am

By: News 9


By Doug Warner, NEWS 9

WASHINGTON, Oklahoma -- They took on this ambitious project five months ago. Their hope was to rebuild a family's home - with the help of only volunteers.

And that home in the McClain County town of Washington is nearing completion. It has taken a lot of patience and faith to get it done.

The rebuild all started because of a young girl named Leah Hayes. Her mother says it's been faith that's gotten her through a lifetime of hospitals visits, uncontrollable seizures and most recently - brain surgery.

And now friends and neighbors are relying on their fair share of faith to help build the Hayes family a fresh start.

For the Hayes family faith was once again put to the test this past September.

"If you think about it for a minute, to stand there and watch someone tear your house down," volunteer Larry Singletary said. "We don't have any money, we don't have anything ready to go, but God's going to provide it and we're going to build you a house."

Singletary, along with dozens, if not hundreds, of volunteers propelled this dream from demolition to the doorstep of fruition.

While doctors are doing what 'they' can to help Leah Hayes - who suffered a fetal stroke 16 years ago and has battled seizures ever since, many in the town of Washington decided they wanted to help make a difference.

With the old, unhealthy house time-capsuled in the backyard, the real work began to build a new, healthier home, with nothing in the bank.

"We started with zero," Singletary said.

And they were banking solely on faith.

A call was put out for help - and one by one people started showing up and the list of volunteers on the sign out front started adding up.

Washington Elementary music teacher Matt Snook says he willingly gave up after school hours and weekends to help Leah and her mother Betty just like so many others in the small town of Washington.

Volunteers came from as far away as the Choctaw/Harrah area.

In a few weeks when construction is complete, NEWS 9 plans on broadcasting the unveiling live on NEWS 9 This Morning.

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