Friends chip in to build bright future for cancer battler

Joy, devastation, pain and darkness — Nicole Clulow has experienced all that and more since she was diagnosed with cancer the day she gave birth to her daughter, Imogen, 13 months ago.

On Sunday all that was replaced with hope, happiness and overwhelming gratitude, as Ms Clulow received a gift that would bring even the hardest of souls to tears.

Nurses, co-workers and a former high school teacher joined a band of family and friends who completely overhauled Ms Clulow's partially renovated Russell Vale home at the weekend — bringing some much-needed smiles to Ms Clulow, partner Ben and young Imogen's faces.

Gone were shoddy kitchen taps, an empty bathroom and exposed electrical work — replaced with a brand new kitchen, bathroom, blinds, bamboo floors, painted walls and new furnishings.

All of the work was done by a team of more than 40.

Some of those who pitched in were complete strangers donating their time and materials to help ease the burden for Ms Clulow, who is still battling Hodgkin's lymphoma. "I'm overwhelmed by the so many kind-hearted generous people out there wanting to give us a hand and show us their support," she said.

"There were exposed power points and no shower for me either, so I had to go up and down stairs when I was sick."

Childhood friend Eve McIntyre launched a community campaign to finish off the young family's four-bedroom home three weeks ago.

"I felt it was the most constructive way to help her, to make her house liveable while she is going through treatment," Ms McIntyre said.

"The more support we had, the bigger the project got - so we're doing the whole house."

Everywhere you turned on Sunday afternoon there was a relative up a ladder with a brush or a workman securing a fitting.

A group of friends transformed the family's existing pine furniture into trendy shabby chic pieces, to fit the home's new casual beach theme.

Among them was Bulli builder Jerry Harriman, who heard about Ms Clulow's plight on the internet and decided to pitch in.

"My father died of the same disease several years ago so it was something I just wanted to help them with, really," Mr Harriman said.

Read the story or see the campaign.