When businessman Addam Smith form Lincoln heard the news his employee Keith Ellick had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, he reached out to a community of local builders to help give him and his family the home of their dreams. Landscape gardener Keith, 41, from Skellingthorpe, was told the devastating news in January that he had…
When businessman Addam Smith form Lincoln heard the news his employee Keith Ellick had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, he reached out to a community of local builders to help give him and his family the home of their dreams.
Landscape gardener Keith, 41, from Skellingthorpe, was told the devastating news in January that he had 12 months to live.
Addam, who is company director of ALS Fencing and landscaping, wanted to do whatever he could for his friend and colleague in his hour of need.
So when Keith called on him to fix his garden fence, he seized the opportunity to do a little more.
Raising over £14,000 to help get his affairs in order and visit a world leading cancer doctor in London, Addam then appealed for help on a Facebook forum for tradesmen.
Addam (Bottom left) documented the transformation with the help of over 50 volunteers for friend and colleague Keith (Bottom right.)
He was soon accompanied by a 50-strong ‘band of builders’ with enough determination to transform the two-bedroom home, which he shares with his partner and five-year-old son.
Documenting the ambitious seven-day journey in a heartwarming DIY SOS-style mini documentary, Addam said: “To find out at the age of 41, when you have a young family, that you probably won’t live a year, must be devastating. This is my bit to help him.”
Before (top) and after (bottom). Photos: Addam Smith and Darren Bank Photography.
His video, which has had nearly 2,000 views on Youtube, includes the moment a fleet of vans arrived outside Keith’s house and snap shots of the laborious work of the volunteers.
Keith said in an emotional message: “This is about telling all you people, thank you. What you kind, decent people have done for me and my family… I never even thought there were people out there like you.”
What’s more, a fundraising page set up by Addam has topped £20,000, as the businessman hopes to raise £100,000 to buy the council-owned house outright and start trust funds for his five children.
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