Stroke survivor's home renovated with the help from complete strangers

  • ITV Wales' Gwennan Campbell reports from Newport.

A stroke survivor from Newport has had his home renovated with the help of complete strangers.

Keith Parry, 70, had only left his house three times in two years after suffering a severe stroke in late 2021.

He spent seven months in hospital and was only able to return home after his wife, Linda, had a specialist bed and lifting equipment installed in the lounge of their home.

But the adaptation to their home left Keith feeling like "a prisoner in his own front room".

Keith, a former woodworker, and his wife Linda received help from the charity Band of Builders. Credit: ITV Cymru/Wales

Keith, a father-of-three, had his life turn upside-down when he suffered a stroke in an upstairs bedroom at his home three years ago.

His family dialled 999 but were told there would be a five-hour wait for an ambulance which led them to take it upon themselves to get him to hospital.

It still took them 45 minutes to get him down the stairs so he could be driven to his nearest hospital where he was thrombolysed to break up blood clots and prevent new clots from forming.

Later that evening, he suffered a second bleed on the brain which left him in intensive care for a week. The ordeal has left Keith, a former woodwoker, without his speech and mobility.

Linda appealed to the charity Band of Builders, who complete projects to help members of the construction industry and their families who are battling illness or injury, for help.

Tradespeople from across the UK travelled to Newport to help out with the project. Credit: ITV Cymru/Wales

After three weeks of work, we joined Keith and Linda as they saw the renovations for the first time.

Linda told ITV Wales: "It was the best thing that ever happened. It was every Christmas and every wish you'd ever wished for come true.

"Keith can finally have a shower after two-and-a-half years. He's got his privacy. He can do what he wants and watch what he wants.

"It's just absolutely breathe-taking what these people have done for us."

Tradespeople from across the UK travelled to Newport to help out with the project.

One of them, Tracey Healy, said: "They've come from all over and stayed locally to change someone's life.

"It's such a massive thing, but we've just given a few days for us, that's it."

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