Indianapolis – When
Sebastian Guarneros was born on June 11, 2007, he was the apple of his
parents’ eye. The second-born for Karin and Enrique Guarneros, “Sebi”,
as they like to call him, was a welcomed addition to their family.
But
just five short months later, the Indianapolis parents found out there
was something wrong with their perfect little boy.
In November 2007, Sebastian started getting sick and never got better.
After bouts of bacterial and viral pneumonia and months of tests,
doctors at Riley Hospital for Children determined he had Severe
Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) – commonly known as the “bubble boy”
disease. This robbed him of an immune system. While their dreams of
seeing Sebastian playing t-ball with other kids, or riding his bike
down the street started to fade, his parents weren’t ready to give up.
Karin Guarneros recalls, “When I heard the diagnosis of SCID, I was
devastated and thought ‘I can’t do this,’ but then you do, because it’s
your child and you want the best for him.”
In addition to the costly medical bills, the Guarneros’ also faced the
huge task of modifying their 1,500 square foot home into a safe and
healthy house, so Sebastian could live there. A family friend contacted
the Angie’s List Wishmakers program for help.
“This is the largest Wishmakers project we’ve ever taken on,” said
Angie Hicks, founder of Angie’s List (www.angieslist.com). “But when we
put out the call for help to our highly rated service companies, within
minutes we had businesses volunteering to help.”
Because Sebastian’s body can’t tolerate germs, many fibers or other
pollutants, local contractors modified the home’s heating and cooling
system and replaced the carpet flooring with laminate floors.
Additionally, an entire room has been added to help give Sebastian as
normal of a life as possible. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held
Friday, October 3 to unveil the additions.
“When Karin told me that he can’t go outside, he can’t touch the grass,
I knew we had to bring the outside in. We designed a room with lots of
windows to give it an outdoor feel,” said Geoff Horen, President of the
Lifestyle Group.
His company is just one of 21 that donated services
for the project. The complete list follows:
The Lifestyle Group
Butz Lumber iFloor (www.ifloor.com) Shelby Materials
31-W Insulation Carter-Lee Lumber Jackson Concrete Thomas J Pearson
Inc.
Alpha Construction Control Tech Luther G Spears Plaster Contractor
White Oak Construction
Alpha & Omega Painting, Inc Exterior Home Improvement Mike Short
Sherwin Williams
Bullseye Fence Design
Gunderman Designs & Concepts, Inc Paschal Construction
Mite-E Ducts Hughes Electrical Connection, LLC Ray’s Trash Sebastian
has responded well to treatment and a stem cell transplant. He’s now at
home and doctors predict he could be out of isolation within a year.
Hicks established the Wishmakers program as a way for Angie’s List to
give back to the communities it serves. Since 2004, Angie’s List has
partnered with highly rated service providers to grant wishes across
the country. Previous Wishmakers projects include:
• Removing and properly sealing exterior lead paint and replacing
gutters for a Rochester, N.Y. woman who operates a childcare center out
of her home. • Repairing a car for a disabled retired Navy veteran in
Daytona Beach, Fla. • Finishing flooring and installing doors in the
home of a St. Petersburg, Fla. woman in frail health who has spent her
retirement fund taking care of her Alzheimer’s-stricken mother. •
Improving the kitchen and organizing the home of a Boston, Mass. woman
who cares for drug-addicted and HIV positive newborns. • Improving
kitchen countertops and installing a portable dishwasher in the home of
a legally blind Portland, Ore. man. • Making a Kansas City, Mo.
backyard safe for young children, including an infant with a congenital
heart defect. • Installing a safety rail and improving gutters and trim
of a home a Washington, D.C. woman with Multiple Sclerosis. •
Landscaping for a widowed Bellingham, Wash. woman with two young
children.
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Angie’s List is where thousands of consumers share their ratings and
reviews on local contractors and companies in more than 340 different
categories. Currently, more than 650,000 consumers across the U.S. rely
on Angie’s List to help them find the right contractor or company for
the job they need done. Members have unlimited access to the list via
Internet or phone; receive the Angie’s List magazine, which includes
articles on home improvement and maintenance, consumer trends and scam
alerts; and they can utilize the Angie’s List complaint resolution
service. Get more information about Angie’s List at
http://www.angieslist.com Read Angie’s blog at
http://www.angiehicksblog.com
iFLOOR was provide to help on this important project by donating laminate flooring and we applaud AngiesList for making a difference!
