Indianapolis – When Sebastian Guarneros was born on June 11, 2007, he was the apple of his parents’ eye. The second-born for Karin and Enrique Guarneros, “Sebi”, as they like to call him, was a welcomed addition to their family. But just five short months later, the Indianapolis parents found out there was something wrong with their perfect little boy. In November 2007, Sebastian started getting sick and never got better. After bouts of bacterial and viral pneumonia and months of tests, doctors at Riley Hospital for Children determined he had Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) – commonly known as the “bubble boy” disease. This robbed him of an immune system. While their dreams of seeing Sebastian playing t-ball with other kids, or riding his bike down the street started to fade, his parents weren’t ready to give up. Karin Guarneros recalls, “When I heard the diagnosis of SCID, I was devastated and thought ‘I can’t do this,’ but then you do, because it’s your child and you want the best for him.” In addition to the costly medical bills, the Guarneros’ also faced the huge task of modifying their 1,500 square foot home into a safe and healthy house, so Sebastian could live there. A family friend contacted the Angie’s List Wishmakers program for help. “This is the largest Wishmakers project we’ve ever taken on,” said Angie Hicks, founder of Angie’s List (www.angieslist.com). “But when we put out the call for help to our highly rated service companies, within minutes we had businesses volunteering to help.” Because Sebastian’s body can’t tolerate germs, many fibers or other pollutants, local contractors modified the home’s heating and cooling system and replaced the carpet flooring with laminate floors. Additionally, an entire room has been added to help give Sebastian as normal of a life as possible. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Friday, October 3 to unveil the additions. “When Karin told me that he can’t go outside, he can’t touch the grass, I knew we had to bring the outside in. We designed a room with lots of windows to give it an outdoor feel,” said Geoff Horen, President of the Lifestyle Group. His company is just one of 21 that donated services for the project. The complete list follows: The Lifestyle Group Butz Lumber iFloor Shelby Materials 31-W Insulation Carter-Lee Lumber Jackson Concrete Thomas J Pearson Inc. Alpha Construction Control Tech Luther G Spears Plaster Contractor White Oak Construction Alpha & Omega Painting, Inc Exterior Home Improvement Mike Short Sherwin Williams Bullseye Fence Design Gunderman Designs & Concepts, Inc Paschal Construction Mite-E Ducts Hughes Electrical Connection, LLC Ray’s Trash Sebastian has responded well to treatment and a stem cell transplant. He’s now at home and doctors predict he could be out of isolation within a year. Hicks established the Wishmakers program as a way for Angie’s List to give back to the communities it serves. Since 2004, Angie’s List has partnered with highly rated service providers to grant wishes across the country. Previous Wishmakers projects include: • Removing and properly sealing exterior lead paint and replacing gutters for a Rochester, N.Y. woman who operates a childcare center out of her home. • Repairing a car for a disabled retired Navy veteran in Daytona Beach, Fla. • Finishing flooring and installing doors in the home of a St. Petersburg, Fla. woman in frail health who has spent her retirement fund taking care of her Alzheimer’s-stricken mother. • Improving the kitchen and organizing the home of a Boston, Mass. woman who cares for drug-addicted and HIV positive newborns. • Improving kitchen countertops and installing a portable dishwasher in the home of a legally blind Portland, Ore. man. • Making a Kansas City, Mo. backyard safe for young children, including an infant with a congenital heart defect. • Installing a safety rail and improving gutters and trim of a home a Washington, D.C. woman with Multiple Sclerosis. • Landscaping for a widowed Bellingham, Wash. woman with two young children. ### Angie’s List is where thousands of consumers share their ratings and reviews on local contractors and companies in more than 340 different categories. Currently, more than 650,000 consumers across the U.S. rely on Angie’s List to help them find the right contractor or company for the job they need done. Members have unlimited access to the list via Internet or phone; receive the Angie’s List magazine, which includes articles on home improvement and maintenance, consumer trends and scam alerts; and they can utilize the Angie’s List complaint resolution service. Get more information about Angie’s List at http://www.angieslist.com Read Angie’s blog at http://www.angiehicksblog.com
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