Grand Designs viewers have been left ‘sobbing’ watching an episode labelled ‘the best ever’ (Picture: Channel 4)
Grand Designs viewers have declared this week’s episode ‘the best ever’ after a home was built for young mum and her family following a devastating health diagnosis.
On the latest episode of the long-running Channel 4 series, Yorkshire couple Jonny and Kara shared their plans to build their dream home for their young family.
Not only facing the challenge of leading the project themselves and managing a tight budget, they also wanted to create an accessible home after Kara was confined to a wheelchair five years ago.
During a holiday to Spain in 2019, Kara suffered a seizure and lost feeling in her legs.
She was soon diagnosed with neuromyelitis optica, a rare autoimmune disease which can flare up and cause irreparable damage to the central nervous system. She hasn’t walked since.
Just a few weeks later the couple, who were already parents to son Isaac, discovered she was pregnant.
Yorkshire couple Kara and Jonny wanted to build their dream home after she was paralysed five years ago (Picture: Channel 4)
Three years after welcoming daughter Winnie, the couple decided it was time to sell their home and build a new accessible one that would serve their needs.
After living in a converted garage next door to her parents’ home, Kara needed a space that was also well suited to a wheelchair user.
As she explained: ‘You don’t think you will be facing never walking again…I want a beautiful home that works for me and our family, and it will give us the joy in life I don’t necessarily have now.’
After she suffered several falls in their current home, the couple designed plans for a single-storey four-bedroom home that would allow her to regain her independence.
Their home was completed and shown off on the long-running series (Picture: Channel 4)
It was designed to be accessible for the mum-of-two (Picture: Channel 4)
They did however face some setbacks before the project was completed (Picture: Channel 4)
Despite facing building delays and a back injury that required surgery after Kara had a serious fall, the couple eventually unveiled their stunning home.
When visiting the completed project, host Kevin McCloud labelled it ‘magnificent’.
‘We’ve created something beautiful in the eye of the storm,’ Kara declared.
The accessible home ‘full of life changing and subtle accessible solutions’ featured details like brass bars used as both handrails and bumpers for Kara, as well as an automated bell system installed in each room around the house that would allow her to call for assistance when needed.
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Host Kevin McCloud praised their efforts and the final result (Picture: Channel 4)
For the first time in years, Kara said she was thrilled that she’d also now be able to hang her own washing.
‘It took a lot of work but worth it,’ the couple shared.
Many viewers watching the show shared their thoughts, with many saying it was the most emotional episode they’d ever seen since the show began.
‘Grand Designs! Tonight’s episode was …read more
Source:: Metro
