Community bands together to build home for family


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BRIGHAM CITY — You might say Evan Sleight always looks on the bright side of life.

"I'm not dead yet," Sleight said with a smile, "Yes, I like 'Monty Python.’ ”

People in Sleight's condition may not be so quick to joke, using sarcastic quotes from movies like "Monty Python and the Holy Grail."

Four years ago, his car rolled over on I-15 as he was heading to work at Hill Air Force Base. The accident left him paralyzed from the neck down.

"I could have been gone completely. I'm not," Sleight said.

Since the accident, Sleight, his wife Robynlee and their six kids have been living with his wife's father in Mantua. Sleight's wheelchair can only get around on the first level, so he stays mostly in the living room where he and his wife sleep.

Several people in the Brigham City community have now stepped forward to build the Sleights a more accessible home. The effort started from two donors who have asked to remain anonymous. They have since gathered more than a dozen contractors who have donated time and materials. Several other citizens also have pitched in.

Community bands together to build home for family
Photo: KSL TV

"There have been people just coming out of the woodwork," Ryan Fromm, owner of RYCA Construction, said. "It's neat to see people coming together and doing something good."

Robynlee Sleight stops by regularly to see the progress of the home.

"We've watched it from the ground up. It's beautiful," she said.

She said the community effort is overwhelming.

"These two gentlemen come and say, 'Hey, we wanna build you a house, and we wanna make sure that the community helps us do it.' It's just humbling to know that they want to help us," she said.

Contractors hope to finish construction by sometime in November. While Evan Sleight looks forward to it, he points out that he already feels grateful for what he has.

"I get to see my kids grow up," Sleight said. "I get to try to be a part of life."

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