Buchanan cancer patient gets free home upgrades

BUCHANAN, Mich. -- Lynda Nix was looking into selling her home because repairs were piling up as she received treatment, but now, she’s able to stay.

“It’s kind of like being Cinderella,” Nix said.

On Friday, a team of workers descended on her Buchanan home to complete a list of repairs and renovations.

“This, to me, means the difference of me being able to stay in this house, because…what they’re doing – yes, some of it’s cosmetic – but a lot of it is functional,” she said.

Nix is battling lymphoma.

Her husband passed away in 2008, so when her cancer treatment began, she started to consider selling the home she’s lived in since the 1980s because the repairs were stacking up.

But the Berrien County Cancer Service, United Way, and Wolverine Pipe Line Company stepped up.

The workers spent the day remodeling Nix’s bathroom, power washing her home, cleaning the windows, and building a new door for her shed.

All the work was done for free.

“This means I’m going to be able to stay in this house,” Nix said. “So it means everything to me. These guys are lifesavers.”

The guys from Wolverine come together once a year to work on projects like this with the Berrien County Cancer Service and United Way.

Two of the workers said there’s  one main reason they keep coming back, and one hope they have by doing this.

“I think doing something for someone or a family that can’t do something for themselves [is why I keep doing it each year],” said David Brooks.

“Hopefully we can inspire some other small companies and say, ‘Oh yeah, you can make a difference, even if you only got 10 people,” said Terry Swisher.

If you’d like to learn more about the Berrien County Cancer Service and potentially sign up to help them out, you can visit their website by clicking here.