The House That Built Me project has been on my heart for a couple of years now. I knew I wanted to be very selective when choosing the perfect family for this project. I envisioned a woman who was hard-working, appreciative, caring, and someone who didn't even realize she deserved something so special. Let me tell you, Nicole is all of these things and so much more!
I met Nicole through a mutual friend who is the director of Blue Caboose (a children's fund to help families live with cystic fibrosis). Nicole works long hours as a respiratory therapist at Children's Hospital in Dallas. Her son, Braden, lives with cystic fibrosis and is such a sweet 16-year old. I knew within the first few minutes of interviewing Nicole that she was exactly who I had been praying to find.
My first conversation with Nicole was over Zoom. Her smile and positive attitude is so inspiring. During our conversation, she shared with me that she and Braden had been living in a one-bedroom apartment and she had saved up enough money to get them a two-bedroom apartment with their own bedrooms! She had been sleeping in the living room so that Braden could have his own bedroom. The way she explained their living situation was so touching. She never complained, and was actually very grateful that she had a twin size bed and a rack to hang her clothes that fit perfectly in their living room.
I could see the excitement on her face to have the opportunity for a professional interior designer's help. I think we were both thinking, 'this is too good to be true'.
Here's a short video of Nicole and Braden so you can see for yourself why I chose this sweet family for The House That Built Me.
The House That Built Me project was created to bless single, hard-working mothers and transform their lives in a positive way through interior design. One thing that I didn't expect to come from The House That Built Me was for Nicole to be such a blessing and inspiration to me. I am beyond excited to have the opportunity to transform their home!
If this cause hits home close to your heart, then we welcome you to join us in this special design project. Please contact us at info@ashleypate.com if you are not sure how you can best get involved or visit our Amazon Wish List for items selected for their home.
Thank you for everyone's support and all the heartfelt messages I've received so far about The House That Built Me. I'm anxious to include you in this project and together we can make a huge impact on this family's life.
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