Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Clik here to view.
Steve Heckman, 6, shakes hands with an actor in character as Indiana Jones. Steven was battling leukemia as his family home was severely damaged by Superstorm Sandy, and came back to the house in Amityville, N.Y. after a vacation to find it completely rebuilt by volunteers. Steven has his own bedroom now, complete with a drawing of Indiana Jones on one of the walls. AP Photo/Heckman Family Photo
AMITYVILLE, N.Y. (AP) - A cancer-stricken 6-year-old boy whose family was displaced by Superstorm Sandy was back in his Long Island home Saturday after it was rebuilt by volunteers.
The house in Amityville has a new, extra bedroom so Steven Heckman doesn't have to share space with two sisters while he undergoes chemotherapy for leukemia.
His tearful mother, Danielle Heckman, said she was so excited she was hyperventilating as the family moved in on Saturday morning.
"It was just really an incredible feeling - to walk in the door this morning and see that not only has the house been rebuilt, but it's also been furnished, literally from rugs to dressers, TVs and curtains," Danielle Heckman said.
A wall in Steven's new bedroom was hand-painted with his favorite character - Indiana Jones.
The Oct. 29 storm flooded the family's home and destroyed almost all they owned. For months, they were forced to couch-surf, including a stint with the parents and three children sleeping on a queen-size air mattress.
"The kids were very stressed out; they lost everything they had," their mother said.
The bigger worry was to keep her son away from people with colds or other ailments. An infection could have landed him in the hospital.
The National Association of the Remodeling Industry, a not-for-profit trade group, heard about the family's plight and offered to rebuild the house with a team of volunteers. Retailers donated new interior furnishings, appliances and dishware.
Heckman said all she wants to do now is tuck her kids into bed - finally at their own home.
RELATED ON SKYE: 25 Indelible Images from Superstorm Sandy
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
AMITYVILLE, N.Y. (AP) - A cancer-stricken 6-year-old boy whose family was displaced by Superstorm Sandy was back in his Long Island home Saturday after it was rebuilt by volunteers.
The house in Amityville has a new, extra bedroom so Steven Heckman doesn't have to share space with two sisters while he undergoes chemotherapy for leukemia.
His tearful mother, Danielle Heckman, said she was so excited she was hyperventilating as the family moved in on Saturday morning.
"It was just really an incredible feeling - to walk in the door this morning and see that not only has the house been rebuilt, but it's also been furnished, literally from rugs to dressers, TVs and curtains," Danielle Heckman said.
A wall in Steven's new bedroom was hand-painted with his favorite character - Indiana Jones.
The Oct. 29 storm flooded the family's home and destroyed almost all they owned. For months, they were forced to couch-surf, including a stint with the parents and three children sleeping on a queen-size air mattress.
"The kids were very stressed out; they lost everything they had," their mother said.
The bigger worry was to keep her son away from people with colds or other ailments. An infection could have landed him in the hospital.
The National Association of the Remodeling Industry, a not-for-profit trade group, heard about the family's plight and offered to rebuild the house with a team of volunteers. Retailers donated new interior furnishings, appliances and dishware.
Heckman said all she wants to do now is tuck her kids into bed - finally at their own home.
RELATED ON SKYE: 25 Indelible Images from Superstorm Sandy
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
