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A BULLARD MAN DECIDED
TO BUILD HIS FAMILY A
HOUSE... THE CATCH
BEING... HE'S BLIND.
BUT... THAT DIDN'T STOP
HIM FROM GETTING THIS
PROJECT UNDERWAY.
K-E-T-K'S GARRETT
SANDERS JOINS US LIVE IN
THE NEWS UPDATE CENTER
WITH HOW THE COMMUNITY
IS LENDING A HELPING
HAND.
WHEN THOMAS GRAHAM
STARTED THIS PROJECT, IT
WAS JUST HIM, HIS WIFE
AND HIS SON. BUT ONCE
WORD GOT AROUND TOWN,
PEOPLE IN THE ARE
COULDN'T WAIT TO TAKE
PART.
FOR THOMAS GRAHAM,
BUILDING IS JUST IN HIS
BLOOD. AND HE HASN'T LET
A LITTLE THING LIKE NOT
BEING ABLE TO SEE STOP
HIM. "i'm probably slower
than anybody else, but I'm
probably just as accurate." SO
IN APRIL, HE AND HIS
FAMILY STARTED BUILDING
A HOUSE FROM SCRATCH,
DESIGNED AFTER GRAHAM'S
CHILDHOOD HOUSE IN WEST
TEXAS. "i've always had a
pretty big desire to build my
own house ever since I was a
teenager I guess, I started
with some smaller projects
you know cabinets and other
wood working projects and
then I just decided one day,
you know it's time for me to
build that house." AND HE
DID, AND HIS EFFORTS
CAUGHT THE EYE OF MANY
IN THE COMMUNITY. "I was
totally, totally awed by the
fact that a blind man is
building his house, I told my
pastor I have got to meet that
gentleman." AND SO JIM
MCKAY DID, AND DECIDED
HE WANTED TO GIVE
GRAHAM A HAND, ENLISTING
MEMBERS OF FIVE
DIFFERENT AREA CHURCHES,
INCLUDING EXPERIENCED
BUILDER DAVE COVALT. "i
actually tried to imagine
closing your eyes and doing
and it's, it's just mind
boggling." AND IT HIT DAVE
ON HIS FIRST VISIT, THIS
WOULD BE A PROJECT LIKE
NONE OTHER. "I said first this
where's your blue print, and
he goes, um well there isn't
one, they wouldn't do me a
whole lot of good and I went
" SO THEY GOT TO WORK,
MAINLY HELPING GET THE
ROOF ON, WHILE GRAHAM
CONTINUED TO FEEL HIS
WAY AROUND HIS FAMILIES
SOON TO BE NEW HOME,
USING TOOLS HANDED TO
HIM BY HIS WIFE, WHILE HE
EXPERTLY PUTS THE NAILS
IN THE RIGHT PLACE. AND
ALTHOUGH THAT IN AND OF
ITSELF IS AMAZING, HE SAYS
HE APPRECIATES
SOEMTHING EVEN GREATER
THAN BUILDING IN THE
DARK.. "I am truly amazed by
the people that has come and
chipped in and wanted to help
so it's just amazing, people
are just amazing."
GRAHAM IS STILL DOING A
LOT OF THE WORK HIMSELF,
BUT VOLUNTEERS SAY THEY
WILL BE PITCHING IN UNTIL
THE JOB IS DONE. AND THE
FAMILY HOPES TO BE
CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS,
IN THEIR NEW HOUSE.
REPORTING LIVE IN THE
NEWS UPDATE CENTER,
GARRETT SANDERS K-E-T-K
NEWS.