A Secret Santa contractor ensured a Michigan family’s home renovation was completed before Christmas after a different contractor collected payment from the family and never worked on the home.
Rockford residents Becki Agar and her 27-year-old son Johnny, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, decided to remodel their home’s basement to be more accessible for Johnny. They said they hired a contractor and paid him $9,000, but months went by, and the contractor never showed up, according to Wood TV.
“I always gave him the benefit of the doubt,” Becki previously told Wood TV. “I just couldn’t wrap my head around (it). I thought, ‘He couldn’t do this, you know? He just wouldn’t. He wouldn’t do this.'”
A different contractor saw the story and wanted to extend a helping hand to the family, so he reached out to Wood TV. The contractor met with the Agars and soon began working on their basement with a group of volunteers.
“There was a sense of urgency,” the contractor stated.
For four weeks, the team raced to finish the basement and showcased their work to Johnny and his sister on December 23, according to Wood TV. The two came down the stairs blindfolded and were left overjoyed with tears when they saw the finished result.
“It was such an answered prayer and such a blessing that the Secret Santa contractor came forward,” said Becki. “And this whole army of people just came forward and did this for Johnny and it was absolutely amazing.”
The basement now has appliances that are accessible to the 27-year-old and there is plenty of room for him to maneuver around in his chair, according to Wood TV.
“Johnny with his limitations can really do a lot down here that he wouldn’t have been able to do before,” the contractor said.
Johnny gave a special thank you to all involved in the effort to transform the basement:
One of the things I try to do … is that I try to demonstrate how thankful I am by my actions, not by words. That is exactly what I have to do in this space, I have to use it for its intended purposes and that’s to work as hard as I possibly can because I was inspired by all of you and your dedication.
The total cost of the project was estimated at $112,000, and the Agars did not have to pay a dime. Even the elusive contractor, whom the Agars say never made good on their payment, contributed the $9,000 to the project, Wood TV reports.
“It makes me so very happy to know that he put his best foot forward and I hope he feels better about it,” Becki told the outlet.
Secret Santas have been making a difference across the country this holiday season. Breitbart News previously reported on an Idaho Secret Santa who gifted a deserving man an all-terrain wheelchair.