Foundation tearing down moldy home, building new one for sville family

[Guest guest]

Foundation tearing down moldy home, building new one for

sville family

By Rosemary Winters

The Salt Lake Tribune,UT*

03/13/2008

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_8563784

Groves gives his son , 6, a steroid shot as his son

Gavin, 3, watches. has a brain tumor and needs medication

three times per day. The Groves have been staying at their friend's

home in Holladay since they found black mold in their sville

home and had to move out because of health concerns with their

children. A local nonprofit group is tearing down their home and

building them a new one. (Steve /The Salt Lake Tribune)

Posted: 6:02 PM- HOLLADAY -- Eighteen-month-old Groves

clenches his fingers into a claw and covers his mouth to

sign " scary " when he sees his mother packing.

The family's five members have become transients since they

abandoned their sville house in September, moving to 's

grandmother's home and then to a friend's sparsely furnished

Holladay house in search of a place where the three kids could

breathe safely.

But this time - as Mandalina Groves tries to explain to her son

- they're done moving.

" We're going to have a home again, " she says.

The Lehi-based Heart2Home Foundation is Utah Home Makeover

tearing down the Groves' 1980s rambler - which is contaminated with

black mold and inconveniently laid out for the family's health

needs - and building a new house in 10 days. It's Utah's own version

of the television hit " Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. "

But much better than TV for , 6, Gavin, 3, and -

not to mention Mom and Dad, who will get their own bedroom for the

first time in years.

In sville, Mandalina and her husband, , began

sleeping in their basement family room, drawing a curtain around

their bed, after twice discovering nearly comatose at the

bottom of the stairs, unable to climb to his parents' bedroom as he

went into adrenal failure. has a rare brain tumor that

causes seizures, asthma, sleep apnea and limited vision.

Gavin, who turns 4 this month, has breathing problems, severe

allergies, a weak immune system and eats most of his food through a

tube. also suffers from seizures and allergies.

So their parents set up camp in the basement, where everyone

could sleep within earshot.

That worked until September, when they ripped up a piece of

flooring and discovered black mold covering layers of particle

board, linoleum and tile throughout the house.

The Groves went to stay with Mandalina's mother, thinking it was

just for the night, but never returned. An environmental specialist

determined the spores likely were exacerbating the kids' health

problems. Eliminating the mold would cost $50,000 - the Groves'

homeowners insurance allowed for $5,000.

Even with remediation, doctors feared the chemicals used to

clean the house would make it unsafe for the boys. It wasn't

financially possible, either. , a personal trainer, is going to

school full time to be a nurse, and the family was strapped for

cash.

" We were going to have to walk away from the house, " Mandalina

says. " It could [have been] years before we were in a home again. "

and Mandalina began to see their sons' health improve

within three weeks of leaving their sville home. ,

whose development had slowed, was a year old, but couldn't sit up or

crawl. He quickly began standing up on his own. Now, he walks and is

starting to talk.

, who often fell asleep during the day and needs steroids

to keep his body going, was able to stay awake longer and take less

medication. Gavin began eating on his own more often.

Heart2Home receives a number of applications for help, President

Greg on says, but the Groves' plea " just grabbed everybody. "

" It was such an amazing story, " he says, " to hear the mother

tell the story of the kids fighting for their lives. "

Heart2Home has enlisted the help of other foundations and

companies to raise enough money and donated service and labor to

build a $300,000 to $350,000 home on the Groves' lot. Foote Homes is

the volunteer contractor. A few hundred skilled laborers will work

for free. Demolition starts Monday, and the Groves get to move in

March 26.

" It's unbelievable. I can't even imagine how I'm going to feel, "

walking into a new house. Mandalina says. " How am I going to say

thank you to everybody? "

rwinters@...

What: The Heart2Home Foundation is building a new house in 10 days

for the Groves family.

Where: 4950 S. 2475 West, sville.

When: Demolition starts Monday at 8 a.m. The Groves return to

their new home March 26 at 5 p.m.

Community day: Volunteers will be working on projects throughout

the Groves' neighborhood March 24. Breakfast at 10 a.m. at the

sville Recreation Center, 5135 S. 2700 West.

Participate: To donate, volunteer or enter a YouTube video

contest, visit http://www.heart2home.org.The foundation especially

needs fencing and framers.