Oswaldtwistle builders transform heart attack patient's home

Howard Holden, pictured with his daughters, fell ill during the Covid-19 pandemic

A father-of-two who had a life-changing heart attack is one step closer to returning home after kind-hearted builders transformed his home.

Howard Holden, 55, was left with brain damage after suffering unexplained heart failure while he slept at his home in Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire.

The charity Band of Builders heard of his plight and wanted to help.

More than 40 builders from across the country gave up their time for free to carry out the building work.

Mr Howard fell ill in April 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.

His wife Sam, 51, and daughters Daisy, 14, and 12-year-old Tilly performed chest compressions on him until paramedics arrived.

The building surveyor was left with severe brain damage due to a lack of oxygen and was put into a medically induced coma for two weeks.

Mr Howard, who still experiences severe fatigue, mobility issues, confusion and short-term memory loss, has since had to learn how to walk, talk and eat again

The charity Band of Builders helps people in the construction industry in need

He is currently at a residential brain injury unit in Leeds.

Band of Builders wanted to ease his eventual full-term return home by converting his property to suit his needs.

The team of builders joined together over the past three weeks to build an extension, install a wet room and erect a new garden fence.

Mrs Holden said: "We're blown away by the work... we're impatient to get him home and this work gets us one step closer to achieving that.

"Having him there to see the changes that have been made and how much work has gone into helping us from a group of absolute strangers was a moment we'll never forget."

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