House of Dreams Local painter reaches out to man with cancer by Laz Rex sqnorheresmadiacom ‘COUN COUNTY Ha: man Glenn Thompson et- ‘les around m en, IMDS fra house. in. Leonard, ‘Texas, checking the prop cent for repair. Fresh coats of paint are sles needed, “the “foundation ‘oul be leveled, the Tan would benefit from ad Homa sod and new wood twould spruce tp the ut repulrs grows longer inthe back of his mind, he's acing the clock t0 com plete the project. He must work “quickly, house's owner, Alex Ochoa, scm on 8k for the HOUSE continued from page 14 4s terminally i with cancer They gave him Alex Ochoa, his wife, Ash Jey and daughter, Amy, were nut torent the ld hake on (Cadi Street wn thee real {or offered 0 sel As they prepare to sign the closing Papers on July, Alex dreams out the colors he wants to repaint the Kleen, the fazcho that woul look pe. fectin thebackyardand ahr ‘ways to give is Fail thee dream home. Ts iggest concern as they ‘moved in was that he wal. it beallve to see the projet done “Alex was frst dlagnosed with Chronic" Myeloid Teakeria in 203. few years Tater, he met Asiey after hs car et on the side ofthe ad and she pulled over (0 hl, Through hosplal ists and when money was tight, “Astley stayed by his ide and Seemed hope he would fever unt he relapsed. 1 months ago. "ie kept getting sick and swe cou igure out what as wrong Ashley. sald “They didabone marr test and he ih no marrow 10 Sick out twas completely ary ‘Aer running test, a doe tor approached Ashiey and Sao he needed a word with her immediatly Outside the hospital room, the dtr tld her Alexs canoer hada ‘anoed to Acie Lympoblas tieTeukema ALL) adsense that prevents white blood cll fom maturing mths doctor sa hat what Alechas ony Loutof every 2 milion people have” Astley Said “They gave hum 0 ays to a Wook to Ive I we ‘ld stare treatment ght ona” "Ashley quit her jb to serve full ne as Alex's caretaker, Both stayed atthe Medical Center of Dallas for 21 days siraight while Alex received ‘themotherapy, an hen con tinued traveling between {hit house and the hospital ‘very three Woeks Tor tea ment “Toul be there anywhere from five days toa Week or ‘hemo an as traveling 00 ines a week Alen sald “We {id tha or about sx months. ost my hat and was really weak, Dut | stared geting better aout five months an: ‘The doctors told Alex that hls recovery was temporary, andi would ony bea matter ft time before he took tar forthe worse "This something have to dal with or the rest of my ie Alex sa Ahome of thelr own ‘Thompson never imagined a trpto the dry cleaners ‘roll tink him to Alex and Astey’s story and inspire 1 yar old ir named Myla Pickering, who was diag nosed with ALL In, 2008, ‘When he walked into Payless Cleaners in Melissa and Sarted talking to an em ployee abot Aikyla's story, {he wonan burst ino tears, ‘Aley then proceeded io tell him her husband's own, Date with ALL “She started) crying and when I heard her story. It nd of it me." "Thempson Sak reatized that people ‘wll help aed, but they fen wort helpa grown man for woman. Cancer Wil take ‘anyone aay, eke maybe Teonld do. something for them, "Atley tld Thompson that she and Alex tad: recently ‘ved into «house om Cea Street and about "Alex's dream of remodeling the ld vom But medial bls and 4 imiied Income made any Dans for renovation a distant {howeht forthe fam "wanted f help Alex get the house fixed ip tn ease Something happened tim ‘Thompson sald. “Tow how aquieky eancer takes peopl ‘ne day youl be here andthe next, youre gone. T jst ‘waned his dream to enne ‘ue so ho ould fel at ease” The first steps Ina matter of days, Mop son rerultet one a his ‘vorkers at Camival Custom, Painting in Allen to hep with the. project and” obtained paint rum Shermin- Wiliams In Pano. His vn business agreed to date orestocked Dain to help ‘Thompson re facorate the insite as wel “Thompson is stl ring 0 szather materials Ike wood find sod before he tarts the Projet. “Tm hoping we ean start ‘work on his House soon and Alex is going io be out tere hhetping'us" Thompson sid. “Talk tim every day and made frend out ot, which means aft tome. aati foe proud of what's done in theend” “Just as Thompson helped ily paint her house pink, Ine hopes to inspire the eam unity to help the Oehoas and sport other fames at. feted by canoer nthe fate Toa want Io stp with jst Alex, theyre ou ther Dut are foo proud to ask ‘Thompson sald “Is. just something tat needs to be fone. It shouldnt have to be Dublicizd: is what we Should dos human begs” Although people have promised to help the Oehoas Inthe pas, Ashley and Alex hopeful that Thampson ‘won't ack down and wll ‘ransform th hase ino the lace Alex lays fe is fam ly deserve “Before he passes away he rants to have the house done Sol won thaveto worry about anything” Ashley said be fen tears “He has 0 many dreams and so many plans {hat he wort be able to 800 yen after he’s gone, Iwill contin to work toward is reams. He’ soled hat anyone would even ty to help sight now