Brett Fowler had a few home improvement projects on his plate when he and his wife were told that their little boy had been accepted for treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Tennessee.

They got the news Sunday and were told to arrive by Wednesday.

For eight months they were away from their home and other three children while their youngest son, Beckett, 3, underwent treatment for a rare and aggressive tumor that occurs in the brain and/or spinal cord.

So, imagine his surprise at coming home to find it completely remodeled.

“I’m speechless,” Brett said, after the welcome home party and tour of his Shelby Township given by the Suite Dreams Project, designers and crew who rallied their talent and time to create a magical moment for the family.

“It’s so nice to come home to something like this, to find everything done. It takes away so much stress,” Brett added, while watching Beckett push a monster truck up and down the Hot Wheel tracks built on a wall in his room, which also featured an incredible monster truck bed designed just for him.

“It’s one of a kind,” said Tammie, who was brought to tears upon seeing the warm welcome that greeted her and her family.

“Thank you all for coming,” she said to the crowd of people that lined the street in front of their home including employees from MNP Corporation in Utica, who volunteered to help the designers paint walls and assemble furniture.

“It was the most rewarding and fun experience,” said Anne Sapienza, crediting Terri Chapman, CEO and owner of the company for offering the opportunity to her employees.

Amanda Nanke concurred.

“It’s great to come together as a team and a community for a family that’s well deserving,” Nanke said.

Both women agreed this was especially true when it’s being done for chronically ill children, which is the focus of the Suite Dreams Project, a unique and innovative program of the General Sports Foundation, based in Rochester. Over the years hundreds of sick children in southeastern Michigan have come home from the hospital to a bedroom of their dreams.

The Suite Dreams Project became aware of Beckett and his fight with brain cancer earlier this year when he was invited to throw out the first pitch at Jimmy John’s Field. After visiting the home with the grandmother, members of the dream team were moved to do more than just one bedroom.

“We just felt that more needed to be done,” said Sheri Daugherty, director of development for the Suite Dreams Project. “This family has been separated for so long, months. We just felt that we needed to create a space that brought them together.”

So, they reached out to the Michigan Design Center and before long not only did they have a dozen designers willing to volunteer their talent and time but donations and a host of other companies, distributors and installers wanting to help and willing to get it done before Thanksgiving.

Even though Beckett will have to return to St. Jude’s every 3 months for testing, his time there has proved greatly productive and Beckett’s prognosis is good.

“I don’t remember when I started, I think it was six weeks ago,” said Anne Strickland of Anne Strickland Interiors of Troy and among the designers assigned to do one of the children’s bedrooms.

The Fowlers are a blended family united by love. The older three children, Aaron, 13, Cadence, 11, and Paisley, 9, are Tammie’s from her first marriage. In 2019, Tammie and Brett got married and had Beckett who is adored by his older siblings. Strickland did the designs for Paisley and Cadence’s room.

“I love it,” said Paisley, walking into the room during the tour. It featured a daybed and large dresser accented by soft pink accessories and a comfy chair set in a corner of her room for reading, writing or just chilling with a friend or sibling.

“This is what I really love,” Paisley said, while eyeing the chair and then taking a seat next to her dream designers.

Paisley’s reaction to seeing the space was very sweet and Strickland said that’s the reason she did what she did.

“This has been really fun,” she said, of her work on the project. In fact all of the designers, including Ruth Casper Designs (Ruth Caspter, Aimee Sass, Patty Murray), KIA Interior Design (Haley Kiarash), Stacy Moore Designs (Stacy Moore and Lis Pusta) and Rita O’Brien Interiors (Rita and Colleen O’Brien), shared a moment of pleasure at seeing the reaction of the family upon seeing their work.

“It’s nice to be able to break out from what I normally do as a designer. This is design that really matters.”

“It’s all about creating spaces that make people happy,” said Andy Appleby, president and founder of the United Shores Professional Baseball League awaiting the arrival of the family and his wife, Kris Appleby, who, along with Kay Ponicall work behind the scenes for the Suite Dreams Project. “Studies have shown that having something to smile about helps the healing process.”

In this case, the Suite Dreams Project considered the needs of everyone in the Fowler family, including Aaron, whose bedroom in the basement was transformed into a teenager’s dream space. All Pro Remodeling’s Matt DiMaggio not only installed a window but built a wall so Aaron would have some privacy.

Wearing one of the biggest smiles during Wednesday’s welcome was Beckett, a cancer survivor whose journey has garnered a following of supporters known as Beckett’s Warriors. Among the newest members are those who helped with the house, including Andrew Georgine from Decorative Metal Designs in Fraser. He and Anthony Bielski were the geniuses who built Beckett’s monster truck bed.

“We started big and then scaled it down,” said Georgine, of the bed inspired by Beckett’s favorite monster truck, “El Toro Loco.” “We had three guys working on it every day for three weeks.”

The results were amazing.

When Beckett walked into the room and saw the truck he went from being a patient coming home to a little boy excited about his bed and everything else in the room, especially a Hot Wheels track on the wall.

“It’s absolutely incredible,” said Brett. “I want to sleep in it.”

“We wanted to make Beckett feel like he was in a monster truck stadium,” said Ruth Casper, who worked with Georgine on the room.

That dream came true.

For once he saw his room, nothing else seemed to matter but having fun with all of the trucks in his room.

Two hours later everyone who came for the welcome home party left the family in peace.

“We’re just here now, reflecting on everything that has happened and enjoying each space,” Brett said, afterwards. “Everything is just perfect. Aaron is in love. I’ve never seen that kid smile so much. He is to-the-moon with his room.”

As is Cadence.

“It’s a perfect little reflection of her,” Brett said, of Beckett’s loving big sister.