An Update On the Fundraiser for Kelley & Jeannette McLeod

GoFundMe effort pays for roof repairs.

Calling Canadian Forces Veterans for Assistance…

Last month I wrote about a fundraiser that was put together to help Canadian Forces veteran Kelley McLeod and his wife Jeannette after they were faced with thousands of dollars in unforeseen renovation expenses and left unable to live in their home.

This particular fundraiser has ended, the proceeds of which went towards covering half of the cost of a new roof, and so they got half of the roof done which was able to address the leakage issue.

The interior remains stripped down to the studs however and there is still a considerable amount of work left to be done before the house is back to being in a condition for it to be occupied. They have received estimates to complete the work and the final cost for them will be in the range of around $50,000.

How this happened.

Kelley and Jeannette bought their house in Napanee, Ontario last year. They purchased the house “as is” knowing they would have to put on a new roof the following year. They were also planning on doing some renovations around the house that would make life a little bit easier for Kelley given his physical infirmities.

A few months ago Jeannette read an article online in which she found out that there could be asbestos in plaster, and as they were planning on doing work to the ceilings they thought it best to have a test done for asbestos. Unfortunately, the tests showed the presence of asbestos, and they were then told that it was also more than likely that there would be asbestos in the drywall compound that was used on the walls.

They were told that pretty much the only course of action available to them was to remediate the asbestos by having all the walls and ceilings removed down to the studs, which cost them several thousand dollars.

At that point, it was discovered that the electrical panel and the wiring were no longer up to code and wouldn’t pass an inspection, making it necessary for them to have it replaced at a considerable cost ($25,000).

Incidentally, although they didn’t get a house inspection prior to buying it, multiple contractors have told them that a standard inspection would not have found any of the issues currently plaguing them.

They needed to take out a loan in order to pay for the asbestos remediation, and they are now at their maximum Total Debt Servicing Ratio (TDSR) meaning that they couldn’t borrow bus fare now if they needed it.

A heartbreaking loss.

As if things weren’t bad enough, Kelley’s best friend and source of comfort, Sadie, passed last week only days after they discovered she had an autoimmune disease that affected her blood cells. Now bereft and heartbroken, Kelley and Jeannette are really struggling right now.

Working on a plan.

Right now there are some efforts being made on multiple fronts in an effort to see Kelley and Jeannette through this and to ensure they have a place to live again as soon as possible. Once there is a clearer picture as to where things are at, fundraising activities will resume if they are necessary.

At the moment they are in need of some privacy so that they can deal with what has been an exceptionally stressful time for them, brought about by a cascading series of events beyond their control, and wish to thank those who have expressed their support during this difficult period.

They would also like to extend their thanks to VETS Canada and the Kingston Legion for all their help.

I will be posting updates as they become available.