LEWISTON – First, her eyes narrowed in confusion. This was not the same apartment she left several weeks ago. Then those eyes widened by degrees, as understanding slowly dawned. It was the same apartment, only new and improved.

“Oh, my God,” she said. And then one more time a little bit louder. “Oh, my God!”

Welcome home, Jessica Taylor.

For weeks, the 40-year-old has been away for cancer treatment. While she endured long procedures in places far from home, Jessica’s friends and family were busy on Frye Street.

More than a few strangers, too.

They called it “Jessica Taylor’s Extreme Apartment Makeover.” Over a period of eight days, a group of people that grew to dozens remade Jessica’s third-floor apartment on Frye Street from floor to ceiling.

“Everything you see in here has been touched in one way or another,” said Lise Roberts, one of Jessica’s closest friends.

And she was right. There were new floors in the kitchen and bathroom, new carpeting in the living room. Walls were painted bright colors with murals of trees and plants, dragonflies and bees.

The computer station was neatened and redecorated, a new monitor installed. New living-room furniture was hauled in and new curtains hung. Cupboards were repainted and new appliances were installed.

Perhaps the crowning touch was the bedroom. There, a great headboard lined with lights had been set up. A scarfed swag was draped over the bed to add an air of peace and nobility. New lamps were brought in and they were kept low.

All of this and Jessica had not seen it. She had no idea.

She left her apartment in late October and was due back Friday night. She was en route to Lewiston by way of limousine while her closest friends and family waited at her apartment with its new luster.

“She deserves this so much,” said Coleen Daskoski, Jessica’s sister. “She’s just an amazing, amazing woman and I’m just so proud of her.”

A grin crossed Daskoski’s face. “She’s going to be blown away by this.”

But it wouldn’t be that easy. Jessica was due home by 6:30 p.m. Flight delays pushed that back more than an hour, leaving a large group at her apartment in a fever of anticipation.

Jessica was diagnosed with cancer 28 months ago. When she went for the latest round of treatment, her loved ones figured maybe they could tidy up her place a bit.

From such a humble idea, grand plans were born.

“There was talk of doing some painting and that kind of thing,” said Mona Karloe, a friend who operates Custom Window Decorators. “We took a look around and saw the absolute potential in here.”

Karloe contacted Catherine Raynor of Morin’s Fine Furniture and Antiques. That’s when the humble idea became a grand one.

“She started making phone calls and getting people on board,” Karloe said.

The list of people and businesses that contributed covers three pages: painters, movers, lumber companies, furniture stores. The list also includes the names of neighbors and strangers who volunteered goods or services.

“She’s such a great person,” Karloe said. “She’s always doing things for other people.”

It was time to do something for Jessica. The only obstacle was getting her there.

Finally, after waiting two hours, she rolled up in the limo. She was greeted by friends outside and then walked up the stairs.

Her reaction was an evolution, from bewilderment to glee.

“Oh, my God!” she said a third time. “Is this my place?”

She began to cry, as she entered the apartment and took it all in.

“The pink rug is gone!” she said in reference to a carpet that had been notoriously ugly. “Oh, wow!”

And then on to the living room where friends surrounded her, beaming as she absorbed it all – the freshly painted walls, the murals, the furniture.

“It’s so beautiful,” Jessica said. “It’s really beautiful. Thank you all. I don’t know what to say.”

She had not seen the bedroom yet and the radical changes it had undergone. The people around her could not wait to get her there. They led her into the room and waited.

Jessica went back to her earlier sentiment but increased the volume even more.

“Oh, my God!” she said.