Grandmother Treated to Surprise Home Renovation

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Christmas came early for Colorado octogenarian Vivian Gallegos, who was treated to a home makeover beyond her wildest dreams thanks to the efforts of her granddaughter and a local radio DJ.

It started, as many good deeds do, with a Facebook post, this one by KBPI morning host Willie B. "What's something you've always wanted to do but couldn't because $$$ kept you from doing it???" he asked his fans in November. Out of more than 800-plus answers, it was Stacy Salazar's that captivated him the most: "Replace the carpets for my 90-year-old Grammy and fixing all the little things around her house. Just a small thank you for not giving us kids up to foster care when our parents died," she wrote.

"It was a very unselfish answer to a question designed to be selfish," Willie B, whose real name is Steve Meade, tells Yahoo Shine. He adds that, when he messaged her for more details, he found out the rest of the poignant story. Salazar's single mom was murdered when she was just 7 and her siblings were 5 and 8. Gallegos (who turns 90 in March) took in all three kids and raised them, despite being 71 years old and caring for a husband in the late stages of Parkinson's disease. Because of the added financial burden, Gallegos's house, in Aurora, had fallen into deep disrepair, with problems that included 40-year-old shag carpeting worn flat as suede, crumbling walls, a taxed electrical system, a dilapidated couch held up by 26 phone books, barely-there insulation, a broken furnace and a severe mouse infestation.

Meade flew into action, rallying local construction workers, electricians and retailers to donate parts and labor. In just six days, a team of bighearted contractors tackled $80,000 worth of renovations in Gallegos's home, taking care of all the most pressing problems and throwing in a new bathroom, new bedrooms, painted walls, appliances, furniture, new kitchen cabinets, counter tops, and a new air conditioning, all for good measure.

Salazar, meanwhile, told CBS 4 Denver, "My grandma [means] everything. I wouldn't be who I am without her, definitely."

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