Couple who fostered 103 children and look after their orphan grandchildren get dream renovation

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A struggling Cornwall couple who fostered 103 children and look after their three orphan grandchildren received a dream renovation to their bungalow house on DIY SOS.

The show, presented by Nick Knowles, helps transform the homes of families across the UK. Monday night's (July 4) episode took place in Cornwall where Stephen and Lynn Smedley share their two-bedroom bungalow home with their three orphan grandchildren.

The couple, who fostered 103 kids over 15 years, decided to buy a retirement home together in Carbis Bay, Cornwall. However, their lives shattered when in April 2017 their beloved 32-year-old daughter Carrie passed away.

Read more:DIY SOS is returning to the Manchester veterans village

Stephen and Lynn put grieving to one side and took in their three grandchildren. The children were having to grieve their mother's death while sharing a small 10x12ft bedroom with a triple bunk bed. Healthcare assistant Lynn was also forced to do the washing and ironing in the wooden shed due to the lack of space.

The DIY SOS team knew straight away what they had to do to make the family's life easier and give them enough space to grieve. With the help of 92 volunteers, renovations were complete in nine days.

The phenomenal transformation saw two bedrooms added to the bungalow, while the rest of the house was reconfigured and enlarged to accommodate three growing boys.

At the end of the programme, the family were shown their newly renovated home. They said they loved the new house, and further approval came from the youngest in the family who said: "I am the luckiest boy in the world."

READ NEXT: