MND ALS Help to finish renovations of last home

I am typing this as a rather desperate call out for help. A little back story. My husband, Paul and I purchased a small house in Lalor with the plan of renovating it with a small extension. Paul is a carpenter/concreter by trade who has been doing this for a living the past 38 years. Although we purchased this home with the knowledge Paul had been diagnosed earlier in the year with Motor Neurone Disease (ALS), what we didn’t know is how rapid the disease would take hold of him. We purchased in Sept 2021 and Paul was still okay to work, but by Feb 2022 he was in a wheel chair and could no longer use his hands and no longer able to enter the house as it had been gutted, including the floors removed so the place could be restumped. The house then sat from Feb 2022 to Dec 2022 untouched whilst we looked for a plumber to complete installation of gas, waste and water supply under the house. After a desperate call out over the internet for someone to help after many meetings with different plumbers, McCarthy Plumbing heard we needed help and has generously donated their trades and materials and have completed what they can. We are now looking to try to find the rest of the trades to complete the build. I am now Paul’s full time carer as well as looking after our 10 year old son who is Autistic and our 6 year old daughter. We have been renting in Reservoir for the past 4 years and my husband lived in Thornbury his entire life so we decided to stay close due to friends and family being in the surrounding areas. This house is all we could afford with house prices at the time and we had enough for renovations if we were doing the majority of the work ourselves. With trades and building costs skyrocketing which we did not budget for we are now asking for help to pay for trades.

Honestly, we feel completely vulnerable in asking for this help, but I would like my husband to see that everything will be okay before his time comes. I thought maybe a GoFundMe to raise the funds to pay for trades may be our only chance to keep this going. Writing this has not been easy, asking for help is one thing we have never had to do, we have always helped others.

Yours sincerely and with hope,

Julie & Paul Groppi

Today Paul is no longer able to move any limbs, bed bound, unable to speak or hold his head, unable to eat or breath with out assistance. The photo is of Paul and the little ones, always with a smile, no matter the situation. Please help him see and live out his days in his last home. Many Thanks.

September 2021 - Working on the house

October 2021 - First fall with many to come

Jan 2022 - Setting up and collecting Bi-Pap to help with breathing

February 2022 - The house remains in this state, gutted

Early Feb 2022 - One of the last photos of Paul walking into the house unassisted.

Late February 2022 - Now using a wheelchair

February 2022

June 2022 Happy 54th Birthday with all the kids

July 2022 - The beginning of not being able to regulate his body temperature.

February 2023

Easter Sunday 2023

Before MND - Paul could do anything when it came to building, such a talented man and such a cruel disease that has taken everything except his mind and his will to live