Wilmington gets a first look at HGTV series showcasing local home makeover

What started as a bedroom makeover evolved into a life-changing transformation for Angela Perry and her daughter Madi.

Welcome Home Angel, a Wilmington-based nonprofit that creates home modifications for children with special healthcare needs, teamed up with Karen E. Laine from HGTV's "Good Bones" series to create a brand-new bedroom for Madi, a 22-year-old with Down Syndrome.

A screening event featuring Welcome Home Angel staff, Angela, Madi, and local partners was hosted at nCino Headquarters on Thursday evening in Wilmington. Attendees welcomed Madi as she walked down the venue's red carpet, shaking colorful pom-poms in celebration of her entrance.

"She is much more organized. I think she's much more independent, which is what we were striving for, and some of the safety issues were addressed," Angel said of her daughter following the home renovation. "Welcome Home Angel doesn't only help the person with disabilities, they really help the entire family."

The project helped Madi to declutter and refresh her space, transforming it into a more functional and comfortable environment. New sensory artwork, a fresh coat of purple paint, cozy bedding, and a revamped closet system were all added, in addition to other changes.

"I like my purple blanket," Madi said when asked what she loved most about her new room. Angela added that purple was her daughter's favorite color.

In a clip shared from the "Good Bones" episode, the moment Madi and her family first saw the newly designed room is captured. Madi is seen hugging Laine, host of the HGTV series. In a pre-recorded message shared with Thursday evening's event attendees, Laine said that heartfelt moment was the pinnacle of the entire project.

"That's what Welcome Home Angel does, it creates spaces where people with disabilities and their families feel cared about and allows them to feel safe and happy in a way that they hadn't before," Laine said. "It just makes such a huge difference in people's lives."

Beyond aesthetics, the renovation also helped resolve damage to the home sustained in Hurricane Florence, Craig Wagner, CEO of Welcome Home Angel, said.

"The front railings and the porch supports, we went in ... and replaced those because it was a safety issue for Madi getting in and out of the home," Wagner said. "Aside from the ... beautiful space, there's a lot of these hidden functional components too that a lot of people might not see but helps to enable that self-independence and a safer care for Madi to live in."

Founded in 2007, Welcome Home Angel has worked to upgrade a variety of spaces for families and children throughout Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender counties. A list of the "angels" can be found on the Welcome Home Angel webpage , alongside further information on how to get involved with the organization's mission.

Welcome Home Angel recognized several service providers, including CertaPro Painters, Badger Box, Two Men and a Truck, and First Cut Productions -- each collaborating with the nonprofit for at least three home modification projects annually.

Wagner said Thursday evening's event was not about a financial ask from the community, but rather an ask of "involvement, connections, and ... support" and "to come together to share the joy of Madi and other children like her."

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Wilmington gets a first look at HGTV series showcasing local home makeover