When Kiera Howell and Bobby Lovett received the keys to their new family home in Two Wells, near Adelaide, this week, there was not a dry eye among the 100 people who were there to celebrate with them.
The purpose-built home is going to improve the quality of life for their two terminally ill sons.
Connor, aged 11, and Declan, aged 9, both have a fatal degenerative neurological syndrome called H4 leukodystrophy, which affects white matter myelin of the brain and has no known cure.
Declan was diagnosed at age four and is now unable to walk unaided, his brother Connor initially showed few symptoms but his gait and walking is now degenerating.
Ms Howell and Mr Lovett gave up work to care for their highly dependent children, and finding a suitable house had seemed out of reach until not-for-profit housing charity Habitats for Humanity contacted them.
The charity was able to coordinate a loan for the couple to build the home, with Adelaide firm HPG Homes taking on project management and sourcing discounted or pro-bono materials and labour from building suppliers and contractors.
Dream come true
The family sold their Port Lincoln home to move to Adelaide in 2018 to access hospital care, living in a family rental property that was small and not designed for their children's needs.
Mr Lovett said he never thought they would be able to provide their boys with a purpose-built home.
Declan had been unable to use his walking aids in the previous home and had to crawl or be carried by his parents, which was becoming increasingly more difficult as he now weighed 27 kilograms.
"To be able to manoeuvre him around the home much easier with his equipment is going to be a lot easier for us," Mr Lovett said.
"Declan still uses a walker frame to get around. It's not going to make him better at walking but it's going to make him feel more independent.
"And for him to be able to walk from the backyard, in through the house [with] zero steps to get into the house, through the hallway into his bedroom, it will feel amazing for him to be able to do that."
Habitat for Humanity executive officer Louise Hay said the handover was emotional.
"It's just going to provide a sanctuary for them, a place where their boys can feel comfortable and grow into the beautiful young boys that they are," Ms Hay said.
"Bobby and Kiera can have a place to share the love with their kids and to just enjoy having a place of their own that they know is purpose built and will meet their requirements as the boys' health deteriorates somewhat."
Heartfelt build
Ms Hay said the suppliers were overwhelmed with the difference their donations were going to make for the family.
The bathroom, wide hallway, and large bedrooms would accommodate both boys as their health deteriorated.
"[Declan] went into the accessible bathroom and was just amazed that he could get up into the sink, which I presume in their rental they haven't been able to do," Ms Hay said.
"Gosh it was overwhelming to see him overjoyed at what is now going to be his home."
