An incredible gift for Port Orchard family

An incredible gift for Port Orchard family

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Story Published: Nov 2, 2007 at 5:34 PM PDT

Story Updated: Nov 2, 2007 at 7:41 PM PDT

By Molly Shen

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PORT ORCHARD -- A Port Orchard family is about to get an incredible gift.

But it comes out of devastating news.

The McKay home is nearly 30 years old. And it's showing its age.

Don McKay tried his hand at a touch-up.

"I did. I tried to paint," Don says. "The dining room. And that was a struggle in itself."

He doesn't have much energy. Doctors tell him he doesn't have much time.

Don has terminal liver cancer that could rob him of life in a matter of months.

Speaking of one of their conversations with a doctor, Don's wife Cathy describes, "It was one of those moments where you feel like time just stops. You know it's going to be a moment you'll remember for your whole life."

Suddenly decaying siding, the 15-year-old roof and the bathroom that's not up to code became bigger burdens.

Cathy saw a news story about Sue Gorman - a woman mauled by two pit bulls while she slept - and how a non-profit group called Need A Break Services renovated her home.

Cathy applied for help.

Diane Bauml is on the board of Need A Break.

"They really need this break right now. They're going through a hard time," Bauml says. "He wants the house to be safe and efficient for his wife. So we just felt we were able to step in right there."

More than 60 volunteers will swoop in Saturday and renovate their house inside and out -- in one day.

The biggest jobs are outside where the deck is rotting and has dangerous holes. The siding and roof need replacing. Inside, there will be new kitchen counters, new flooring.

And with all this, the McKays have a new outlook.

They are strong in their faith, but Don put in long hours at work and Cathy says she was always moving at super speed trying to accomplish as much as possible.

Now, Cathy says, "Every morning we wake up I think, okay we have this day. What are we going to do with this day? It has changed us."

"I am grateful for each day that I wake up alive," Don adds.

And he is grateful to friends, family - and now complete strangers - making his life and his family's life - better.

Need A Break could use more volunteers. They'll be working from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. If you'd like to help, go to www.needabreak.org for directions to the house.

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