Construction charity building wet room for Co Armagh man with pulmonary fibrosis after appeal

Raymond Callaghan is currently sleeping on a hospital bed in his living room
-Credit: (Image: Submitted)


A construction charity are stepping up to build a wet room for a Co Armagh man with a rare condition - but need more volunteers to get involved to make it a reality.

Last month, the family of Keady man Raymond Callaghan - better known as 'Boots' - started a fundraising page to install a wet room at his home to help improve his quality of life as he battles NSIP, a rare form of pulmonary fibrosis. He was diagnosed with the rare condition after 43 years of breathing in cement dust working as a bricklayer.

When he received his diagnosis in 2019, Raymond was given two or three years to live, but beat the odds due to a clinical trial drug offered by his consultant. However, his condition has been getting worse over the past year, and he now uses oxygen 24/7 and is no longer able to get out and about.

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As the fibrosis now covers most of his lungs, Raymond's family are doing all they can to provide him with a downstairs space of his own. Over 800 people have donated to the family's fundraiser, with over £19,000 raised.

Local man Marcus McGee is a trustee with UK registered charity Band of Builders, which works with members of the construction industry and their families in their hour of need.

Speaking to Belfast Live, Marcus said: "My daughter went to school with Raymond's daughter who shared the GoFundMe, my daughter sent it across to me and asked if I could help the family.

Raymond Callaghan and his wife Alison
Raymond Callaghan and his wife Alison -Credit:Submitted

"I took a read through to read the full story, and as soon as I saw he was a bricklayer, that automatically qualifies him to apply for help through the Band of Builders.

"I made contact with Raymond's wife, Alison, and told her to get an application filled in. When it got to stage two, I went out to do a site visit to see exactly what's going on.

"They were looking for a wet room downstairs but the space is just way too small. So I put forward a plan for an extension for a wet room, and I thought if we're doing that, we may as well put a bedroom in too. Raymond's currently sleeping in his lounge on a hospital bed, which isn't ideal."

Band of Builders volunteers working on their first Northern Ireland project in 2022
Band of Builders volunteers working on their first Northern Ireland project in 2022

The project will help improve Raymond's quality of life, but Marcus said they need some help to get it going and make it a reality. He is visiting the house again this week to draw up measurements, and to see exactly how many people he will need.

"I think we will need around 30 volunteers across the board to make it a reality," Marcus said. "That's everything from bricklayers right through to decorators."

It will be Band of Builders' third project in Northern Ireland, with plans for the build to begin in January 2025. It is also the third project JP Corry Building Suppliers have been involved with, and Marcus said they would need some help from the likes of bathroom suppliers for the project.

Anyone wishing to volunteer to help on the project can do so by clicking here.

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