BOISE, Idaho — We've been following Jacob Serre of Boise and his incredible story for years. He was born with a rare heart condition called familial dilated cardiomyopathy. He has undergone not one heart transplant, but two. In 2021 at the age of 16, he had his first transplant.
Three years later in February of this year, his new heart failed, and he had to have a second transplant at Stanford Medical Center in California. It's been a really difficult journey for him and for his family the past few months.
"Jacob had two cardiac arrests. He had CPR for an hour plus both times, he was on life support for a week, had a second heart transplant, the heart wasn't responding well, so he was back on life support for another week. Then, he was taken off life support, and had a stroke which left him half paralyzed," said Jinjue Serre, Jacob's mom. "But, he's already progressing more than the doctors thought he would."
Jacob was finally released from the hospital a couple weeks ago, he got the all clear from his medical team to come home to Boise to continue his therapy and recovery. His heart is doing great, but he's now dealing with a loss of mobility due to his stroke.
His parents Jinjue and Andrew knew they had to make a few small adjustments to make their home more wheelchair accessible for him. They put out a community call for help to family and friends. Lennar Boise Homes got word of their dilemma, and the home building company stepped up in a huge way.
"We heard of this family that was in need of help," said Jeff Clemens, the Division President of Lennar Boise Homes. "We immediately said yes, and then the very next day we were meeting with Jacob's dad, Andrew. Then five weeks later, here we are with a remodeled home. It happened that fast."
Clemens said when they heard Jacob's story, his team decided to renovate the entire Serre home, instead of only helping out with a few adjustments.
"Lennar Homes builds homes, and we knew we had the trade base, we had the ability, and we have the know-how. Once we started walking through the home, I was like you know what? I think we do a little bit more here," said Clemens. "Everybody donated their time, their energy and their equipment to get this done in just five weeks' time."
Lennar hosted a special reveal of the home for the Serre family. They said, room by room, they were blown away by what they saw. Every room of their house had been redone. They now have new floors for Jacob's wheelchair, accessible bathrooms, a new kitchen, fresh paint and even new furniture. The reveal was emotional for everyone there.
"It's beautiful, it's beautiful," said Andrew Serre, Jacob's dad. "It's totally humbling and overwhelming. When we started this, we knew we needed to make our house accessible for our son. It's just incredible that they were able to bring that to life for us."
"Nothing is an obstacle for Jacob now," said Jacob's mom Jinjue. "He can be independent and comfortable in our home. That was the whole goal. And we are just so blessed, this is so amazing."
Jacob said he couldn't believe his eyes as he toured the home.
"I feel like there's not even enough I can say, but obviously thank you, we all feel so blessed," he said.
He has a brand-new bedroom with all of his favorite things displayed, including his sneaker collection and his records. He has a gaming center, but most of all, he's just so happy to finally be home with his family after so much trauma he said.
He is what some would call a true warrior.
"All odds were against me, and I still pulled through," Jacob said.
Jacob attributes his faith for keeping him going. He also said his family is more important to him than ever.
"They are everything," he said.
Jeff Clemens said it was an honor for Lennar Homes to take on this project for such a deserving young man and his family.
"It's a privilege," Clemens said. "It's not every day you get to do this kind of a thing."
Jacob's parents said saying thank you just isn't enough.
"We have been through so much. But our beautiful son is alive and he's home. He's a miracle," Andrew said.
Something Jinjue agrees with: "It's just been such a long journey, to be where we are today, it's been miracles, after miracles, after miracles."
The Serre family is now settling into life in their new home together. They say it's the best place they could possibly be to heal, and to help Jacob get his strength back. He still has a long road ahead of him, but being home means the world to them.
Here is a list of all the trade partners, people and businesses that helped renovate the Serre home.
DONORS:
Lennar Boise Homes
AD Construction – Framing
Horizon – Trim & Baseboard & Front Door
Electrolux – Refrigerator / Range / Vent / Dishwasher
Blind Appeal – Wood Blinds
Great Floors – Cabinets & Labor
Great Floors – Flooring Material & Labor
Great Floors – Quartz Labor
Cosentino – Quartz Material
Petersen Painting – Interior & Exterior Painting
Prime Plumbing – Walkin Shower / Tub
45th Parallel – Electrical & Thermostat & Installed Appliances
Gatsby Glass – Bathroom Mirrors
A Woman's Touch Cleaning– House Cleaning & Window Cleaning
CCC Field Services – Trash
Ethan Drywall – Drywall Repairs
Skye Landscaping – Fencing
Young Family – Landscaping
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