A frail pensioner forced out of her home by mould and rats has moved back in - after locals raised 120K for a makeover.<br /><br />Disabled Pat, 70, had become chronically ill from damp covering walls and furniture in her bungalow and moved out just before Christmas.<br /><br />Generous businesses and kind locals then rallied together to complete a monster makeover after her living conditions were revealed on social media.<br /><br />The property in Swindon, WIlts., had electricity in just two rooms and the central heating hadn't worked for two years. <br /><br />Pat now has a new boiler and furniture, the rats have been pest controlled, the rotten flooring taken up and the damp dehumidified.<br /><br />More than 150 local people and 70 companies helped to clean and refurbish the house - and she has now moved back in.<br /><br />Pat said: "It's absolutely amazing what they've done for me.<br /><br />"I'd like to thank them all from the bottom of my heart and I am so, so grateful to them all."<br /><br />Pat's home was infested with rats, which she described as "awful" and "scary".<br /><br />Her friend, Janet Reynolds, 44, had been helping her with weekly shops.<br /><br />But she had not been inside her house since the pandemic and did not know how bad the situation had become.<br /><br />When Pat asked Janet for help cleaning the bungalow Janet admits she was “horrified”.<br /><br />Janet, a chef from Swindon, said: “The house was covered in thick, black mould - it was horrendous. I could barely be in there myself. <br /><br />“I’ve known her for 20 years - we used to work together. She thinks of me like a daughter.<br /><br />"But after Covid happened, she stopped letting me into the house. <br /><br />“I thought it was odd then she asked me for help cleaning. <br /><br />“As soon as I stepped in, I knew she needed to get out. <br /><br />"Everything was covered, and she was on antibiotics for double pneumonia.”<br /><br />The pensioner is registered blind - and suffers from early onset heart failure. <br /><br />Pat had been living without central heating and bathing with water from a kettle. <br /><br />Janet “begged and pleaded” with her friend to move in with her instead - while she sought help to refurbish the house. <br /><br />She set up a GoFundMe page to pay for local tradespeople, fumigators and supplies - where local tradespeople started offering their services. <br /><br />Despite feeling “a little embarrassed'' Pat feels overwhelmed by the number of people who came out to help.<br /><br />“She’s a very proud lady,” she added. “I told her, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. <br /><br />“She started crying - she can’t believe how generous everyone’s been. The situation was really desperate.”<br /><br />Pat has said she is looking forward to inviting her friends round for a cup of tea.<br /><br />She added: "They can call in and see me on their way home from work, which is wonderful. Make my life normal again."
