A recent two-foot amputee from Langley City received an early Christmas gift from Church in the Valley and its Acts of Kindness team on Dec. 24.

Sandra Murphy, with her husband Ken at her side, was in Abbotsford hospital on Christmas Eve sa国际传媒� having just lost both her feet and several of her fingers to amputation.

The Langley City couple was surprised when a delegation from the Seventh-Day Adventist Church paid them an unexpected visit, but shocked beyond words when they learned the real motive for the stopover.

Murphys will be the 2020 recipients of the Extreme Home Repair, explained AOK pastor Michael Dauncey.

sa国际传媒淲e figure this news today could be something to brighten up the negative situation right now,sa国际传媒� he said of the decision to announce next yearsa国际传媒檚 recipient just ahead of Christmas.

AOK organizers Lorne Brownmiller was also on hand for the announcement at Sandrasa国际传媒檚 hospital bedside.

sa国际传媒淲e believe you guys really deserve a Christmas to remembersa国际传媒� yousa国际传媒檝e had a rough go,sa国际传媒� Brownmiller said.

AOKsa国际传媒檚 annual Extreme Home Repair program sees a team of businesses and community volunteers go in and retrofit homes for people who cannot afford or are not sa国际传媒� for various reasons sa国际传媒� able to do the needed restore their home to a safe and liveable standard.

For the past 17 years now, the Aldergrove-based AOK team has tackled these home renovations, typically taking upwards of two weeks in May. The Murphy home will be transformed between May 1 to 18, Dauncey confirmed.

Theysa国际传媒檝e done about two dozen such repair and renovation projects for deserving people. The jobs have ranged from small projects such as a new roof to total re-dos, he explained. Up to a few dozen nominations a year are received.

The Murphys, including their adult daughter Jillian, were nominated by Aldergrovesa国际传媒檚 Bella Howet, and her sister, Lola. The sisters have know the family for 53 years, and Bella was the one to surprise the Murphysa国际传媒檚 by announcing the news on Tuesday.

sa国际传媒淵ou guys are the most deserving people I know,sa国际传媒� Bella said.

sa国际传媒淚t couldnsa国际传媒檛 happen to a nicer, more deserving family,sa国际传媒� she added between sniffles and hugs.

sa国际传媒淚 cansa国际传媒檛 believe this. Nothing like this has ever happened to us,sa国际传媒� Sandra said, turning away from her guests to hide the flood of tears she kept wiping away from her face. sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 so amazing,sa国际传媒� she added.

Ken was almost at a lose for words as the reality sunk in.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 so awesome, you guys. Thank you,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淭hank you for just being there like this. This is such an awesome thing.sa国际传媒�

Murphys bought a Langley City rancher a few years back, as a fixer-upper project they were going to work on together sa国际传媒� Ken being sa国际传媒渢alented with carpentry,sa国际传媒� Dauncey explained.

Sadly, a number of issues arose for the family since then, making the renos impossible sa国际传媒� at least short-term. In fact, given Sandrasa国际传媒檚 amputations, the initial plans for retrofitting the house changed. The only priority was to make it wheelchair accessible throughout, so Sandra could get around in her own home, Bella explained.

sa国际传媒淭hey are a good family with true Christian beliefs and have always opened their house and home to those who needed it. Now they need the helpsa国际传媒�sa国际传媒� she said in submitting the request for the AOK team to help the Murphys.

After their son died in the summer of 2016, the loss took its toll on this family, Dauncey elaborated. And through all this, Sandra has battled health issues for many years.

Then, just a few months ago, while travelling in the States, Sandra took sick and ended up in hospital with only 85 per cent of her heart working.

Doctors did what they could to stabilize her, then airlifted her back to Canada.

Because of Sandysa国际传媒檚 declining health, Ken left his job to be at her bedside while she was waiting for the amputation of her feet and parts of her hands.

sa国际传媒淣ot only do they have this on their plate, but now they have a home Sandra cansa国际传媒檛 return too,sa国际传媒� Bella said.

Admittedly, although Ken professed to be sa国际传媒渉andy,sa国际传媒� he knew little of what he would have to do to modify their home so it can accommodate Sandra and her wheelchair.

At the very least, she explained, theysa国际传媒檒l need a larger, wheelchair-accessible bathroom, and a ramp to allow access in and out of the house to make it habitable for Sandra.

sa国际传媒淚 do not know what other problems they will have concerning the house,sa国际传媒� Bella added.

Dauncey said the selection of this yearsa国际传媒檚 recipient for the Extreme Home Repair was not as difficult as many in past. The Murphys need help, and need help immediately.

sa国际传媒淭his has all occurred just in the last few months,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淗ow devastating to lose limbs like thissa国际传媒� this family could really use some help right nowsa国际传媒� this is definitely a special Christmas gift for them.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淭his is a true blessing,sa国际传媒� Sandra said. sa国际传媒淚 cansa国际传媒檛 believe thissa国际传媒� This kind of thing doesnsa国际传媒檛 happen to us.sa国际传媒�

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