RTE fans applauded Baz Ashmawy and his DIY SOS team for transforming the home of a young Irish woman who suffered a devastating brain injury in a horror accident abroad.

The latest episode showed the Leonard family from Bray, Co Wicklow, working to transform their home for their daughter Hannah.

Hannah was just 22 when she was struck by a car while training for the Dublin City Marathon in Sicily in October 2024.

It has left her with a devastating brain injury, which has required months of rehab.

Her dad, Kevin, revealed she had been completing her final long run before returning to Ireland for the race when tragedy struck.

He said: ‘She was going out to do a 35k loop in Catania in Sicily.

‘She got to a pedestrian crossing, and as she got almost to the footpath on the other side, when she got hit by a car.’

Hannah underwent emergency surgery, which involved part of her skull being removed to relieve pressure on her brain.

Her family faced an agonising period of uncertainty, with Kevin revealing that doctors feared the worst.

He said: ‘They told me that Hannah was going to die.’

Despite enduring numerous setbacks, Hannah has continued to defy expectations throughout her recovery.

But the family had no idea how they would be able to bring her home, as the house was not set up for her.

Hannah is now wheelchair-bound and requires around-the-clock care.

Her bedroom was in a converted attic, making it impossible for her to access.

A GoFundMe campaign raised more than €390,000 towards her care, but it still falls short of covering ongoing medical costs and the major home adaptations needed for her return.

Kevin explained: ‘Hannah is fully wheelchair-bound; Hannah’s bedroom is the converted attic.

‘We can’t get Hannah upstairs; we need widened hallways to get her wheelchair in the house.’

Hannah’s mum, Vanessa, admitted the prospect of her daughter being unable to return to the family home had been heartbreaking.

She said: ‘We were told that we’d never get her home and that she’d essentially end up in a nursing home.

‘That just broke my heart thinking of that happening.’

The only way they could make it happen was by making major changes to the house.

So the DIY SOS team brought together an army of volunteers, tradespeople and suppliers to transform the house in just nine days.

The plans included reconfiguring the downstairs to create an accessible bedroom and fully equipped wet room, alongside space for the specialist equipment and supplies Hannah will need.

An extension was also built to create a shared living area incorporating the kitchen, dining room and sitting room, allowing Hannah to remain at the centre of family life.

But the family then suffered another unimaginable loss when their son Dylan, 17, died.

Her mum spoke about the fear they had that they

She said: ‘You lived in terror for a long time.

‘That we’re going to lose her had been said to us on a few occasions.

‘That is a horrible thing to hear.

‘I just miss my daughter and my son.’

Kevin also reflected on the different emotions surrounding Hannah’s recovery and the death of his only son.

He said: ‘For everything that she’s gone through and for her to still have that fight.

‘I’m just such a proud dad.’

He added: ‘At least there’s a bit of hope with Hannah and she’s healing, but with Dylan it was definitive; it was done.

‘There was no coming back from it.’

Kevin said the home transformation would mean everything as Hannah continued her recovery.

He said: ‘This feels like home from the minute we walked through the door.

‘And Hannah will feel that too; it’s going to make such a difference in her recovery.’

The new bedroom had also been designed to give Hannah a space of her own, with her dad believing the love that had gone into the build would help her in the months ahead.

He said: ‘The place has been built with love and the love is going to continue once Hannah comes home, and that’s going to ooze out of the walls.

‘And that’s going to help drive Hannah forward on her recovery.’

Viewers were clearly emotional

One person wrote: ‘Is it even possible to watch any episode of DIY SOS without crying? Doubt it.’

Another fan said: ‘Always filled with pride how far people will go to help others in their greatest time of need.’

A different viewer said: ‘One of the saddest ones yet. What a family.’

While someone else said: ‘Such an emotional watch, fair play to everyone involved.’