DIY SOS star Nick Knowles was moved to tears after completing his latest life-changing house transformation – this time for nine-year-old Rafi Amer.
Rafi suffered severe brain injuries after contracting an E.coli infection when he was six years old.
The school boy had three cardiac arrests, a stroke, had stage 4 kidney failure and went 23 minutes without oxygen. Doctors warned his family he would not survive.
Incredibly and against the odds, Rafi pulled through and returned home to Bracknell, Berkshire, after spending a year in hospital. But social services told his parents, Laura and Dean, their three bedroom terrace was not suitable for their little boy’s needs.
Without the help of a miracle, Rafi would have had to move permanently into a medical facility. Thankfully, that miracle came in the form of Nick, the DIY SOS team and around 600 local volunteers.
What happened to Rafi Amer
Rafi was just like any other little lad when he fell ill. DIY SOS viewers will hear how the “mummy’s boy” loved playing with big sister Sienna, now 14, learning about world flags and playing with toy trains.
But everything changed when he fell ill at school. Mum Laura says in the BBC show: “I got a call from the school saying he’d got a tummy ache. That stomachache got worse and worse and so then we said, ‘Right, we’re going to go to A&E’.”
Rafi was admitted to Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey and was diagnosed with the “incredibly rare” hemolytic uremic syndrome, caused by an E.coli infection. The condition causes severe inflammation of blood vessels and the formation of blood clots in the body.
Rafi spent two weeks in a coma. Dad Dean says: “He had three seizures and kidney failure. Every organ was affected and went 23 minutes without oxygen due to cardiac arrest.” Rafi couldn’t even move his eyes.
During his time in intensive care, Rafi had 28 days of dialysis, blood transfusions. He had sepsis twice, septic shock and a stroke. He was also diagnosed with severed brain damage to the brain stem.
Dean, Laura and Sienna were warned Rafi was unlikely to survive. Laura recalls on DIY SOS: “At 2am we got a phone call saying, ‘Come and say goodbye, he won’t make it through’.” Breaking down in tears, she asks the camera to stop rolling.
Rafi’s return home
Rafi returned home to the family’s 1970s terrace after a year. But it was soon clear the house was unsuitable for him. His wheelchair didn’t fit through the front door, which meant Dean and Laura had to carry Rafi inside.
The small lounge became his bedroom and Rafi was unable to get upstairs to have a bath. Social Services told Laura and Dean that it was “inevitable” Rafi would have to return to hospital unless significant changes were made to the property.
A fundraiser was set up to pay for a new extension. But when the money ran out, work had to stop. The family was left with a half-built extension in their garden and the prospect of Rafi having to leave.
That’s where Nick and the DIY SOS team came in.
DIY SOS: Rafi’s Road to Recovery
Rafi’s episode of DIY SOS is called Rafi’s Road to Recovery. Even the most cold-hearted of souls will feel emotional when watching it.
Viewers will see the family shed tears when they see how many people have turned up to help Nick and the DIY SOS team, as their presence means they can keep Rafi living at home.
Standing outside the front door before the work begins, Dean tells the army of local tradesmen and women and volunteers: “If you were to have come to the door a year and a half ago, this boy would have come to the door himself.
“He would have used his own legs, his arms and hands to open the door. And his own voice to greet you. But every day this boy fights to get as much function back as possible.”
What did the DIY SOS team do to Rafi’s home
In the show, DIY SOS’s interior designer, Gabby Blackman, is quick to talk Nick and the team through the plans for the house. Rafi is to be given a new bedroom on the ground floor and an ensuite bathroom. It will have a medical grade rise and fall sink, bath and toilet.
The original ceilings will come down and be replaced with new ones. In Rafi’s room, there will be an electric hoist and track all around his bedroom and bathroom.
The half-built extension will be transformed into a big family living space. Laura and Dean will be given a new bedroom upstairs and Sienna will get a bedroom. The third will be transformed into a dance studio for Sienna, who is a world champion.
Dean was a keen musician before Rafi fell ill. But along with Rafi’s toys, his guitars and equipment remained piled up in a corner after Rafi’s illness. Gabby, Nick and the DIY SOS team want to give him a space to make music again.
Finally, the garden will be transformed. Dean has overhauled Rafi’s diet since he’s been home. The family hopes eating plenty of super-foods will help his recovery. Outside, Dean will be given a brand new garden kitchen to aid his cooking.
Gabby says: “This is a design about hope and optimism for Rafi’s recovery.”
Nick’s tears and the big reveal
Nick is left wiping away tears when Rafi, Laura, Dean and Sienna return to the house at the end of the show. Laura and Dean go first and cannot believe the transformation.
In a very emotional moment, Dean starts crying when he sees a photo of Rafi standing up and gazing at Sienna before he fell ill. He is then shown a big wooden toy box containing all of Rafi’s toys. It means they will all be there waiting for when he can play with them again.
Rafi and Sienna are then shown the house and their new rooms. At Rafi’s request, his new bedroom has been painted in rainbow colours. Framed pictures of flags decorate the walls and his toy trains are on display.
Rafi breaks into a huge grin and tries his best to communicate his delight with Nick. Wiping away tears, Nick asks the cameras: “Have you ever seen a child happier?”
Sienna breaks down in tears when she sees her bedroom and new dance studio, too. Dean, meanwhile, can’t believe his eyes when he sees his music area.
Rafi’s DIY SOS thank you
The family then head outside to thank everyone who has helped change their lives. Dean tells the massive crowd of volunteers: “The quality of the work in there is unbelievable. That is stunning and it’s been built with love and we can feel that.”
Starting to cry, he adds: “You guys are just the best. We have got everything we want and need. It’s absolutely phenomenal. We got Rafi home!”
Rafi thanks the crowd multiple times using sign language.
Still visibly emotional, Nick reflects: “We always make a promise to a family that we’re going to do this. But if we didn’t deliver on this promise, that little boy didn’t get to stay at home.”
