Couple at ceremony: Retired Florida Corrections Sgt. Ronald Lanzetta and his wife, Susan, look on as a brief ceremony is held outside their home on Lincoln Ave. in Lehigh after Builders Care refiurbished their home in five days last week. He was forced into retirement because of Multiple Sclerosis. Photo by Mel Toadvine

Choking back tears, Ronald and Susan Lanzetta looked on as Fred Barry, past president and founder of Builders Care, thanked the folks who helped to revamp and fix problems in a house the Lanzettas live in on Lincoln Ave. in Lehigh Acres.

Sgt. Ronald Lanzetta has multiple sclerosis which over the past 10 years has caused impaired vision, loss of balance and memory problems.

As a result, Lanzetta is unable to maintain and make repairs to his home for his wife and two young sons.

In addition, the home was ill-equipped for mobility and handicap accessible improvements were made.

It all was done in five days last week with three dozen workers from several firms that make up Builders Care, a group of local Lee Building Industry Association members and volunteers who work together to help others with homes who are not able to do the work themselves, said Heidi D. Taluman, a spokeswoman for the group.

Couple in front of their revampled home: Ronald and Susan Lanzetta stand in front of their home after a group of builders gave of their time and money to repair many problems in ther home last week. Photo by Mel Toadvine

Lanzetta is 41 years old and his disease was diagnosed when he was 29. Since he and his wife have been living in the house, regular maintenance has not been able to be done, except for what his wife could do and she admitted that was very little.

Taulman said Builders Care provided more than $25,000 in improving the home.

Several of the representatives of the various members of Builders Care gathered Friday on the front lawn of the house to cheer and applaud Lanzetta and his family.

“Ron and Susan Lanzetta are a happy couple who met like many others. In the midst of raising two young children, two weeks before Father’s Day, it was all about to change,” Barry said.

“Ron, at the young age of 29 was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Shortly thereafter, he was diagnosed with the worst form of MS, Secondary Progressive.

Applause at housing ceremony. Several members of the firms that helped repair a home for a Lehigh Family turned out Friday to hand over the keys to the family after 35 people worked all week to revamp the interior and exterior of their home. Photo by Mel Toadvine

“Over the past 10 years, the disease has taken its toll further causing unreliable vision, loss of balance, memory problems and ultimately forcing him into retirement on disability. They have two children Ronald Jr., 13, and Michael, 12,” Barry said.

Lanzetta was a sergeant with the Florida Department of Corrections and worked in Charlotte County when he could no longer carry out his duties due to his disabling disease.

“Although they have done a great job keeping up with the needs of their home, other major repairs have been accumulating and they are too expensive to handle with rising medical costs. Just one medication that he takes has a $20,000 co-pay a year.

“It came to our attention that the Lanzettas were overwhelmed with serious home repair issues including a failing roof and sharing one shower and toilet in opposite bathrooms. There were mobility issues for Ron throughout the home including such things as grab bars in the showers and wheelchair mobility, a factor that is likely to affect him in the future.

“In short their home was unsafe and hazardous for their family to live in,” Barry said.

Front yard ceremony by Builders Care: Fred Barry, past president ond one of the founders of Builders Care, speaks briefly about how a large group of workers revamped the home of a Lehigh family last week. Next to Barry is Heidi Taulman, a spokeswoman for Builders Care. At right are Ronald Lanzetta and his wife, Susan. Ronald suffers from a progressive case of MS and is unable to work. He is also unable to do minor repairs to his house. Photo by Mel Toadvine

He said that in addition to the various partnerships with local builders, Lee county also helped to bring this plan to fruition.

Barry said that thanks to Builders Care, Lee County and several of Lee Building Industry Association building partners, all the home renovation problems have gone away and the house has been turned back into a safe and healthy home.

He concluded by saying that in life there are three kinds of people in this world. There are those who let things happen, those who make it happen, and those who wonder, what happened.

“At Builders Care we make it happen,” he said. “And this is the proof of it.”

He called those who helped renovate the house from a new roof, new screening, new carpeting, and more, all “Guardian Angles.”

Handing keys back to owners. A member of Builders Care hands back the keys to Ronald and Susan Lanzetta after several people worked inside and outside their home for five days last week making necessary repairs. Photo by Mel Toadvine

The keys were handed over to Sgt. Lanzetta and his wife in a ceremonial move. The family never left the house during the refurbishing job.

Everyone was invited inside the house.

“It’s like the smell of a new house,” Sgt. Lanzetta said. “These people are just wonderful and we don’t know how to thank them. They are great folks. We will appreciate what they have done for us for the rest of our lives.”