By Sonja J. Keith

Although it has been nearly a year, Tina McCully still has to pinch herself from time to time to realize her dream of a new home has come true.

“It’s just really wonderful,” she said. “We’ve been here a year and I still have to stop and think ‘this is really our home.’ God has blessed us so much. He sent Hollywood all the way to Bigelow to build our home.”

It was last summer when a crew from the ABC TV show “Extreme Home Makeover” arrived in Perry County to head up construction of a new and much needed home for the McCully family.

Show producers were inspired by Tina and Rob’s 11-year-old son Job, who was plagued with health issues following a leukemia diagnosis in July 2002. After a successful bone marrow transplant, Job suffered health ailments that led to a lung transplant in December 2007.

The McCullys are convinced that the fungal pneumonia that Job contracted was a result of the mold in their old, 1,800-square-foot home. The couple purchased the house primarily for the land, with plans to build a new house. “The way it was laid out, water settled under the house.”

After Job’s transplant, friends and family began considering ways to provide a new home for the McCully family. “Our community has been active in helping us to have a safe place to bring him home,” Tina said.

In fact, originally there were two groups that were working on applications to the ABC show on behalf of the McCully family. The efforts were combined and a committee was formed to complete the application, although it was difficult to video all the family members as Job was still in the hospital and the home had not been lived in over a year.

To strengthen the family’s application, the committee organized a card and letter-writing campaign. Business cards were printed with the mail dates and address, an article appeared in the local newspaper, and updates on Job’s website included the information. “One of the producers told us that the mailroom was so stopped up because they got so many.”

It wasn’t until the end of April that the family received the first call from show producers. “It was really, really exciting.” While it seemed to take a long time before the first call, Tina said that in looking back, things happened fast.

The following week, producers traveled to Perry County for a preliminary interview that was met with “a lot of hope.” The McCullys were told they were in the Top 5 finalists. In August, producers were in the family’s home when Ty Pennington and crew arrived for “Door Knock Day.”

“They don’t tell you that you’ve been selected until they actually come,” Tina explained.

The first day the crew toured the old house and the designers interviewed family members on what they wanted to see in the new house.

“Job was really sick at this time with an infection,” Tina recalled. In fact, he had been in the hospital the days before the visit. Although he still required intravenous treatments, Job was discharged just in time to go on vacation with the family while the new house was built. “He had a good time and enjoyed himself even being as sick as he was.”

Tina described Pennington, host of the show, as “friendly and down to earth” and the entire design team as caring and compassionate. “They are in this field for a reason,” she said. “They really were sincere in their contributions to the show.”

While the family was away, Woodhaven Homes in Sherwood undertook construction of the new home. “They built the house in four days,” Tina said. “Even witnessing it, it’s hard to believe how they can get it all planned and built in that time.”

Other companies donated materials and provided assistance for the home project. In addition, the University of Central Arkansas gave both McCully children college scholarships. “I was impressed that so many companies would give so much, and Woodhaven just gave and gave and gave.”

When Pennington, the McCullys and everyone else gathered yelled “Move that bus” what was revealed was a beautiful 3,200-square-foot, single-story home, complete with new appliances and furnishings.

Tina continues to be overwhelmed by the love and support her family has received. She is especially touched by the volunteers who wrote their names on the beams in the attic of the home. She’s been told that there are other names inscribed on boards in the walls. “That’s really cool. It really makes it personal,” she said. “It’s overwhelming, the love we felt from everyone.”

 How the journey began

The cause of Job McCully’s leukemia remains “kind of a mystery.”

Job’s mom, Tina, recalls that Job was a typical, active little boy up until July 2002 when he complained about his legs hurting and began running a low-grade fever. Concern grew to alarm when Job’s doctor sent the boy immediately to the hospital. The physician wanted a second opinion and additional tests were needed but he suspected leukemia.

“I went from thinking this is not a big deal and now they were telling me he has leukemia,” Tina said. “That’s how the journey began.”
Tests the following morning confirmed the leukemia diagnosis, with the results indicating 85 percent of Job’s bone marrow had already been affected by the disease. “He started chemo that day.”

Job’s leukemia was resistant to chemotherapy alone, so a bone marrow transplant would be needed. Fortunately, Job’s leukemia went into remission (which has continued) before he underwent a bone marrow transplant on Oct. 8. “It was a difficult situation but it went well.”

Unfortunately, Job’s lungs were damaged although they are not sure how. He encountered a series of lung ailments, including RSV pneumonia, and doctors were not optimistic he would survive.

In November 2003, Job was diagnosed with Broncholitios Obliterans, which the family was told was “just as dangerous” as the leukemia. While they were able to manage the illness for awhile, it was obvious to his physicians and parents that a lung transplant would be needed.

Job was evaluated in Houston, Texas, for a lung transplant but he was “too healthy.” On Feb. 8, 2004, Job again was considered “too healthy” although his lung capacity was only 45 percent. Later that month, he was diagnosed with fungal pneumonia and admitted to Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

Tina remembers how quickly her son’s condition deteriorated. Admitted on a Wednesday, Job was fine except for a fever and was sitting on his bed, playing video games. On Saturday, he was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit and on Sunday he was put on a ventilator. He remained in the Little Rock hospital for six weeks.

“They pretty much had given up on him,” she said. “They couldn’t see how he could survive.”

Transferred to the Houston hospital, a very ill Job was listed for a lung transplant. “We just praise God we were able to get him to Houston.”
When one of the hospital’s two transplant surgeons was diagnosed with leukemia, a recommendation was made to transfer Job to St. Louis.

While Job continued to be pretty sick, he seemed to have a “pretty good summer” as the wait continued.

In September, Job developed a “pretty aggressive” infection in his lungs and his condition worsened. At one point, the McCullys were told that their son had 48-72 hours to live. They were presented with two options – place Job in a medically-induced coma or tell him goodbye.

His chances for survival either way were “slim to none.”

“We prayed about it and we didn’t have it in our heart that it was over,” Tina said.

Two days later, doctors explained that if Job went into cardiac arrest and he was revived, he could be stuck in a vegetative state. More

importantly, if he went into arrest, he would be removed from the transplant list. And Job would not survive without new lungs.

“I acknowledged I heard what they said and I walked out,” Tina said. “I didn’t believe God was finished with Job. I felt God still had purpose for his life. He was sick but he was fighting it.”

As more complications occurred, the McCullys, their family and friends continued to pray.

Once again, the couple was told to “say goodbye” or consider a sedative medicine. “We were told they could put him in a coma to help but his days are numbered. We decided to go ahead with the sedative medicine.” When the medicine was administered, Job’s heart stopped. The staff administered CPR for about 10 minutes before a nurse discovered a heartbeat. Fortunately, because the arrest occurred at the time the medicine was given, Job remained on the transplant list.

“To me, it’s God intervening yet again.”

About two months later, his family was concerned that Job might arrest a second time. “I felt that God gave Job his name and He gave me lots of hope when there was no hope anywhere.”

And then the call came. “A nurse said, ‘We have accepted a lung for Job.’” The sudden news took Tina by surprise. “We had been so strong and held it together. Then hope overwhelms you,” she said, teary-eyed.

Even after the transplant procedure – performed Feb. 21 on the one-year anniversary of his admission to the Little Rock hospital – Job was not out of the woods. He experienced cardiac arrest from internal bleeding and another infection resulted in another hospital stay.

While the lung transfer has been successful, Job has had other difficulties. Because he was bed-ridden so long, he was unable to walk. Rehab and time have helped, and in January, Job began using a walker. “He didn’t use it long. He was scared at first but this summer he has really excelled.” A fall resulted in some fractures in his foot, as a result of his weakened bones, but a walking cast is expected to help him regain mobility.

Job has also been diagnosed with diabetes and he receives IV treatments to strengthen his immune system. Steroid treatments appear to have slowed his growth but his family is optimistic that will not be a long-term effect.

Job spent the second half of his third grade year and all of his fourth grade year in the hospital, missing school, but he started back in the fifth grade last year. “He has been able to stay up and does really good,” Tina said.

Tina considers Job’s health improvements and the family’s new home as miracles as well as the family’s financial situation. Both Tina and Rob were working full time, “living month to month,” when Job became sick and they lost their jobs.

Despite the loss of income, “we didn’t get behind on one thing,” Tina said. Rob now works for Falcon Jet. “Over a year, we had no income but God just provided for us.”

Even with his latest setback with his foot, Job is looking forward to returning to school and being with his friends. “Job is doing wonderful,” Tina said. “A handful of times we were told he wouldn’t survive. I think the doctors are all speechless now at how well he’s doing.”