From Deseret News archives:
Home makeover thrills Orem's Thill family
"We had no idea that they were going to do this much," Cayce Thill said. "We kept getting e-mails (from friends) that said 'wow' and that's all."
The family left Tuesday for a four-day trip, expecting to find only a new dining room with a table big enough for their whole family when they returned, but the founders of Heart 2 Home, a Utah nonprofit organization asked to head the project, decided a dining room wasn't enough.
"When we came to do the meet-and-greet Monday, we thought we can't just walk away," Connie Perrett, a volunteer with Heart 2 Home, said. "We can't just do an addition and that's it. My plan was to find a volunteer to head up each of the bedrooms."
Volunteers turned makeshift bedrooms in the garage into an island paradise for one of the girls and a sports mecca for three boys, ages 7 to 9.
Lauri Walker headed the project for the boys' room. She coordinated with an Orem High School shop teacher and students to build a new triple bunk bed for the room. Other volunteers gave up football jerseys and hockey equipment to decorate.
The Thills and those who know them are no strangers to miracles of love. The family has welcomed 35 foster children into their home.
Dayna Chadwick, a 22-year-old single mom, is one who has benefited from the Thills' dedication to children in need of foster care.
Chadwick said she began using meth for the first time when she experienced postpartum depression after the birth of her baby girl, Addison. She used heavily for six months until last April when she came home to find her daughter in a coma due to meth ingestion.
The baby was in a coma for three days and diagnosed as developmentally delayed by two months after she was released. Addison was put into the Thills' care by the Utah Foster Care Foundation until Chadwick could get her life in order. Today, Chadwick and the Thills are fast friends.
Recent comments
If anyone deserves this, John and Cayce do. They will be at the head...
Frank | April 15, 2008 at 11:30 a.m.
- High school soccer: Past MVPs 1:37 a.m.
- Senators want food tax restored 1:27 a.m.
- Utah women lag in higher education 1:16 a.m.
- Hatch empathizes with Muslims 1:14 a.m.
- Matheson gets no thanks from GOP 1:13 a.m.
- Mitchell seeks to block witnesses 1:12 a.m.
- Party insiders may take on Bennett 1:11 a.m.
- Input sought on nondiscrimination 1:11 a.m.
- Am. Fork band hopes for nationals 1:10 a.m.
- Healthy Toews leads Blackhawks 1:04 a.m.
- TCU showdown has big implications
- Seniors helped BYU regroup
- Lambert surprisingly tops news
- Hope for single moms
- Bystanders framed for child porn
- Korver and Miles to be evaluated
- Soccer MVPs know how to win
- Utah Jazz Extra: Whose hot/not
- Matheson gets no thanks from GOP
- Newhouse Hotel, an explosive end
- House passes health care bill
228 - TCU showdown has big implications
183 - Lobo suspended
182 - Cougars crush hapless Cowboys
154 - Utah Jazz fall apart against Kings
131 - TCU 4th in AP poll; U. 16th, Y. 22nd
118 - Thousands protest health bill
114 - RSL rallies to advance
103 - No 'backlash' for pioneers, gays analogy
97 - Utes pound winless Lobos
89
Meghan McCain, the daughter of former presidential candidate John...
Why do so many people live so close to refineries in Utah and elsewhere?
Sounds like a good option if you can't or won't switch to AT&T for the...
I worked with and around Bill Sederburg for 5 years while he was at...
hand. He needs to work on his moves to the basket and rebounding. Lateral...
play Fez or Koufos tonight. He went with a smaller line up and Boozer, Okur...
I've met Bennett before and he is a nice man. He also knows the Constitution...
That's never been a secret. Everyone will pay for it except those that don't...
I agree with NonMormon. I am active LDS, and I enjoy Ash's articles, and I...
I kept saying don't resign Milsap, especially after Portland offered that...
BYU is the slowest team that has ever been in the top 25. Utah will put up a...
i think u have the cowboys ranked too low! at least an A- LOL nice work!


