Community Helps Build New Home For L.I. Family

August 13, 2010

August 9, 2010 8:55 PM

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Shaljian with his family (Photo/Mona )

From mzielinska

NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – A Long Island cancer patient who can't live in his

mold-riddled home in Mount Sinai will be getting a new house thanks to community

builders and volunteers.

" It's unbelievable, I can't even put it into words, that people have stepped up

like this, " said Shaljian, 45, who has been battling Hodgkin's Lymphoma

for more than eight years.

Shaljian, a husband and father of four daughters, ranging in age from 12 to 21,

has been living in a one-room, shed-like cottage in the yard of his property

since returning home from the hospital after undergoing a bone marrow transplant

last November.

He was moved to the shed after being advised that the mold in the family home

was contributing to his illness.

Part of the crew (Photo/Mona

Efforts to eradicate the mold in the 700 square foot, 2 bedroom bungalow have

been unsuccessful and the family was informed that the entire structure needed

to be demolished and rebuilt.

A Facebook page was launched last Spring nominating the family for the show

" Extreme Makeover. " Though it attracted more than 6,000 followers, another Long

Island family was chosen by the producers of the show.

So, supporters of the Shaljians started their own group to lead a build.

A new Facebook page called " Building Hope for Long Island " was launched last

week, and Dorothy Bosak Schlosser, a co-creator of the page said the

organization's goal is to build a new home for the Shaljian family and then help

other local families.

DeBlasio Capo Design-Build and Coles Contracting Inc. have signed up to help the

Shaljians.

" The thing we want to do is give them a clean, efficient, up-to-date house that

they can spend time in together, " , one of the volunteers, said.

Donations of money, labor, and materials are being sought for the Shaljian build

and future builds. To help out visit the " Building Hope For Long Island "

Facebook page.

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