Anne Marie Tiernon/Eyewitness News
Indianapolis - Sebastian Guarneros is on his way home. With this family's new member comes new house repairs on their home to ensure his safety.
Sebastian is getting medicine and food through a tube in his nose. Other than that, to the naked eye, there is no sign of the battle this baby is now waging.
The good news is that his months of residence at Riley are now over. The Guarneros family are working to make home a safe haven for baby Sebastain.
"Everything needs to be as clean as can be because something that wouldn't bother you or I can get into his lungs and start an infection," said mother, Karin Guarneros.
Sebastian is now one eyar old. He was born without an immune system, and was diagnosed with SCIDS last year.
He lived at Riley hospital where he got a stem cell transplant in hopes that a new immune system would develop. Now 46 days out, he's back home with his big brother, Xavier.
"I like having him home now because I love Sebastian," said Xavier.
Reuniting the brothers took a lot of work. Angie's List and the Wishmaker program stepped in.
"We sent out emails to contractors on the list, and within15 minutes, Lifestyle Group responded and were willing to take on the project," said Angie's List founder Angie Hicks.
They installed easy-to-clean hard surface floors to replace carpet. Sebastian's condition also required a new heating and cooling system.
"We had our air quality tested and they found a lot of pollutants and allergens," Guarneros added.
A new $30,000 safe room is in the works.
"One of the first things she said to me was that he can't go outside, he can't touch the grass," said Geoff Horen, the Lifestyle Group contractor. "So I said, 'Let's bring the outdoors in then.'" They plan to install many windows.
19 companies and more than 100 people have touched the project. The hope is that in a year, Sebastian may be able to integrate more. Avoiding setbacks takes dilegence.
"[If] something falls, clean it. Somebody walks on the floor, clean it. Everytime he crawls, clean it," said Guarneros. "Then he has his meds and his feeding schedule that starts at 9am and goes to 10pm at night every couple hours."
Grandma insists on wearing a mask to avoid the temptation of kissing him and contaminating his fragile body.
The day may come where he can embrace his family, but in the meantime, this family is now reunited at home thanks to strangers who stepped up.
Visit the family's website dedicated to Sebastian and learn how you can help.
The following companies helped out the Guarneros family:
- The Lifestyle Group (General Contractor): (317) 352-9022
- 31-W Lumber (Donating insulation material and labor): (317) 346-0299
- Alpha Construction (Donating materials and labor for addition's roof): (317) 745-4009
- Alpha & Omega Painting, Inc. (Donating labor for painting addition): (317) 507-1036
- Bullseye Fence Design (Removing and replacing fence): (317) 442-1585
- Butz Lumber (Donating framing material): (317) 849-5005
- Carter-Lee Lumber (Donating framing material): (317) 639-5431
- Control Tech (Heating and A/C modification, donating a new furnace): (317) 873-3737
- Exterior Home Improvement (Donating exterior door): (317) 845-4300
- Hughes Electrical Connection, LLC (Donating materials and labor for all electrical work): (317)784-2262
- iFloor (Donating all flooring and underlayment): (800) 454-3941
- Jackson Concrete (Labor and materials for foundation and footers): (317) 490-3399
- Luther G. Spears Plaster Contractor (Donation of drywall and labor): (317) 638-1220
- Mike Short (Donating labor to dig footers): (317)407-2796
- Mite-E-Ducts (Air duct cleaning): (317) 733-1012
- Paschal Construction (Installing new flooring, re-tiling bathroom shower): (317) 201-4647
- Ray's Trash Service Inc. (Supplying a dumpster for materials): (317) 539-2024
- Shelby Materials (Donating five yards of concrete): (317) 782-3200
- Thomas J. Pearson Inc. (Monetary Donation): (317) 861-9778
- Vickrey Remodeling (Donating labor): (765) 482-7344
- White Oak Constuction (Donating siding): (317) 243-7140
