When Jaylan and Julian’s parents passed away, followed by the loss of their beloved grandfather, the brothers were devastated.
Jaylan, 22, besides the grief he was going through after his parents’ passing, also had to take care of his brother, who is 10 years younger.
Julian was also grieving their loved ones’ deaths, but his emotional health was even more vulnerable as he is still a teenager.
Before their mother passed away, Jaylan had promised her to take good care of his younger brother.
“[I] try my best to keep him in check, make sure he doesn’t get in trouble, and make sure he’s loved,” said Jaylan.
But things have not been easy for the two boys. Their house had recently been damaged so badly that they could not even live in it.
Hurricane Harvey and the freeze that followed in most part destroyed their home, and they could not afford to fix it.
“At one point, I was just done with the house. I was ready to sell it at one point. It was too much weight on my shoulders. I couldn’t do it,” Jaylan told Click 2 Houston.
But at the same time, he couldn’t find an alternative for himself and his younger brother. They had to find a better place, but it would be difficult to pay for it.
And that’s when “Katy Responds” comes into play.
The non-profit organization aims at helping people whose homes have been damaged and wants to make sure they will all have a place to live after the disaster.
“Here at Katy Responds, we are committed to ensuring that no home is doomed to fall apart. We provide restoration for families that are forced to live in the circumstances and give them renewed hope through reconstruction,” Katy Responds explains on the website.
So, the non-profit, along with numerous volunteers took on the responsibility of renovating the damaged home, and the outcome came as a shock to the two brothers.
“I love it,” Jaylan Gray told Click 2 Houston. “I’m speechless, way more than we asked for. Completely grateful.”
As the Executive Director, Ron Peters, explained, the house was so badly damaged that there was no way for the boys to live in it.
“I want you to have a safe place to live. I want you to be able to not worry about your home, for a few years,” said Peters. “This is what we do. It’s hard work. It’s non-profit work, but it’s why we do it is for those guys.”
Young Julian was so touched by the people’s kindness that he couldn’t hold back his tears.
He just couldn’t believe that there are so many nice and selfless people out there that would go above and beyond to make sure he and his brother would have a place to call home.
What an inspiring story!
Make sure you head over to the video below to see how the boy’s property turned out!
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