OLD TOWN (AP) – Help from 400 volunteers and donations from 24 businesses and dozens of individuals made a woman’s dying wish come true: 35-year-old Sonya Barclay, who has terminal cancer, has a new house for her family.
The trailer Barclay, her husband and their four children had occupied was in bad shape. Its frame had buckled and the Barclays suspected it had mold problems, which made the children sick.
Friends of Sonya Barclay coordinated fundraising and told the family’s story to local news media. Soon, donations poured in.
About three weeks ago, the Barclays’ trailer was demolished and construction of their new home began on the same lot in Old Town. By Tuesday, the Barclays’ new, four-bedroom, two-bath house was ready, and the family was driven by limousine to the bright yellow home.
“Welcome home!” cheered a crowd of about 30 friends, relatives and volunteers as the Barclays arrived for the first tour.
Sonya Barclay, who had been in the hospital since May 12 for a lung procedure, was wheeled up a ramp to a porch overlooking a backyard with a jungle gym, new swings and an aboveground pool before the family went inside. Later in the day, five kayaks – one for each child and one for Sonya and her husband Jeff, turned up on the side lawn. The children are 11, 8, 5 and 4.
Their mother marveled at the stainless steel appliances and granite countertops in the kitchen, where the refrigerator was already stocked with milk and orange juice. There’s a large couch and flat screen television in the living room and all of the bedrooms are fully furnished.
Sonya Barclay was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004 and since then the disease has spread to her bones, liver and part of her lungs. She had hoped for a new house for her family and mentioned her dying wish to friends.
She struggled to find the right words after the tour of her new home. While hugging one of her children, she said, “This is more than a dream come true, isn’t it, sweetheart?”
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Information from: Bangor Daily News, http://www.bangornews.com
AP-ES-05-28-08 1127EDT
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