The Big Build - Bromley

Tonight, Nick Knowles, the DIY SOS team and their volunteers step up to help the Newcombe family in Kent.

Every parent thinks of their child as being one in a million, but two-year-old Arlo Newcombe really is. Arlo has a lung condition so rare that it has never been seen before in the UK. His lungs must be constantly supported, which has left him dependant on oxygen 24/7. From birth the family have been confined to a five-foot cubicle at Kings College Hospital, all while witnessing ‘life on the knife edge’ in the intensive care ward.

Despite his condition, Arlo is mentally and physically a typical toddler. Defying the odds, after two years in intensive care and specialist training for the parents, Arlo finally made it home. However, he needs a minimum of two highly trained carers on constant watch, making family life – let alone sleep for mum and dad – almost impossible. Trailing breathing tubes, equipment the size of tumble dryers and the lack of a downstairs bathroom have turned their once-safe home into a risky space for Arlo and his brothers, Luca and Sonny. It’s also urgent that dad Mike returns to work to pay for the mortgage and bills. Otherwise they risk losing their house and seeing Arlo back in intensive care.

The DIY SOS team have amassed an volunteer army to create a safe and inspiring space that Arlo and his family can call home.