Work Hard, Play Harder

When Nicholas was diagnosed with cancer at just 4 years old, it changed his family's life forever. Now, just six years later, Nicholas is a cancer survivor who runs his own nonprofit out of his house. When his family recently moved, he and his little brother lost much of their play space and don't have a lot of room to operate their growing business. So his parents called us in to see if we can help renovate their basement. They're going away for the weekend, and when they get back, we're hoping to surprise them with their dream basement. Where the boys can work hard and play hard. All right, come on. Open 'em up. BOTH: Oh, my god! -- Captions by VITAC -- Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC. JOHN: This one's different because we're surprising two children today. I mean, they have no clue about it. They're coming home from vacation. Nicholas was diagnosed with cancer when he was just 4 years old, but now, six years later, he's a survivor. His family just recently moved into this house, and the boys lost their play area. So the mom wrote to us, asking us if we could renovate the basement, changing it into an entertainment space for the entire family. Basically, we had their grandparents let us in early. And I think they're gonna be a little shocked. [ Laughing ] I hope not too shocked on this one. ANTHONY: Oh! Whoa. Hey, guys. Oh, my God. What's happening? How you doing, guys? What's up? [ Laughs ] I'm Anthony. How are you? How you doing, buddy? I'm John. Nice to meet you. How you doing? You guys know who we are? Yeah, you're from "Cousins on Call." That's right! [ Laughter ] So, Mom and Dad sent us an e-mail, and we want to see if we can help transform this space into something you could use a little bit more. Oh, my God. You guys spend a lot of time down here? Yeah, we play down here a lot. Tell us about it. Like, we play video games. We got our new chairs 'cause we really never had anywhere to sit, 'cause we just kind of moved in. Those beanbag chairs? Those are cool. You know, for us, it's been hard. It's been a hard -- You know, Nicholas being sick was hard, and then, you know, trying to make the move. I mean, nobody really wants to move. We know we needed to, but we didn't understand how hard it would be on the kids. So, for Nicholas... It was pretty hard. Yeah, change isn't easy. He's been through a lot. He's that heart-on-the-sleeve guy. So, he misses aspects of our old home, you know, and parts of that -- the yard and things -- we can't give back. The basement. But he's been a little obsessed with wanting to fix the basement. So, if you could change this basement -- anything that you wanted -- what would you guys do? Take down this. Take all of this down. Oh, don't be shy. Yeah, we need more space. Definitely a couch. We need a couch. Okay. Maybe a big-screen TV? Yeah! Yeah, a big-screen TV! No, we'll get you taken care of. Instead of pulling that, we want a light switch. A light switch. Yeah, this is a little high for you, isn't it? Let me ask you a serious question, though. With these shelves, are you cool with them coming down? Do you have area to store stuff? I got the garage. I put, like, shelving up so I could throw stuff there. We're gonna move some to the master, some to the garage. Okay, so, then what's all this over here? Well, when I was 6 years old, I was really sick and tired of having cancer. AMY: Nicholas has been through more than most children. It was a rough road. There was a lot of bumps. For us, it was almost four years. And then he started to think, "Mom, I really want to try to help kids with cancer." And I said, "Well, you know, whatever you come up with, we'll go with it." NICHOLAS: And now we have a foundation called Cancer Stinks Children's Foundation. So, you guys pack these boxes up and then you bring them to the hospital? And you give them to kids. We give the packages, so then the kids can feel like somebody's with them, 'cause, usually, you're all alone. You guys are doing an amazing thing here. This is very special. I think, as brothers, you guys deserve the right space here, because there's not many kids your age that would do something that's so selfless like this. I mean, this is a big deal. And if you let us surprise you -- so no peeking. And that's it, and then we're gonna have a big surprise here. Ready? Head on out. All right, guys. ANTHONY: So, Nick and Amy and the boys are staying with some relatives for the weekend. JOHN: This gives us 72 hours to get this entire project done. All right, let's begin with just the technical construction stuff that's gonna form the space, right? All right, so, we need to close off the laundry and mechanical areas, and that'll give us a nice, clean space to start with. Then we've got a nook over there, which we were saying, maybe the office space. I think the office space is perfect back there. Then we can do a built-in desk, built-in shelves, and an assembly line where they can put together all of their care packages. And then for the entire family, we can do a great entertainment space -- huge drop-down screen, surround sound. Maybe we can fit a couch in, some huge oversized beanbags, make it real comfortable. The other stuff is sports stuff, video-game stuff. I mean, one thing -- you know, I mean, they have a ton of toys. They have a lot of Legos. Maybe we build something out of Legos that we could do a wall out of it, furniture, something, like, just very different. Yeah. ANTHONY: Not a lot of demo here. We just got to get these shelves out so the real work can begin. JOHN: Downstairs right now is really a controlled chaos. We have framers, insulation, and Sheetrock all going on at once. None of those things are supposed to happen at the same time, but when you're working on the time frames that we are, you don't really get much of a choice. JOHN: Gonna get it all done, painter in there, wrap it up, and finally get into the design, 'cause we have so many cool design choices that we have made that we really want to get going on. We're pre-making all of the trim frames. This is for all the doors. So, as soon as we're ready to put the trim in, 1, 2, 3, fast. We stand them up, put them on, trim nailer, and it's finished. We have our frame. We really want this to be a playroom and an area for them to work in. We don't want to see the laundry. We don't want to see the mechanical HVACs, close those off, get them away. They're still functional, but you just don't see them anymore. ANTHONY: When we put up the wall to hide the HVAC system and the hot-water heater, it created a little alcove area that would be perfect for a Lego wall. JOHN: The amount of Legos they had down here when we saw them that first day -- I think having a wall of it... they're gonna freak out. ANTHONY: What we're gonna do is stick the Lego tiles to the wall with an adhesive. It's fast, clean, and it's a great interactive space for the boys. I like the "fast" part. ANTHONY: I don't like the way this stuff is drying at all. It's not sticking? We don't have the time to let it sit as much as it needs to, so I'm hoping that it activates when it's on the wall. There it goes. We're gonna have to find another solution. JOHN: We have two days left to finish this basement for Nicholas and Ryan, and there is a lot of work left. The audio-visual side of this is just killer. I mean, a 90-inch projection screen that drops down. Also, you have surround-sound speaker that's around the entire basement that's really gonna engulf the kids. And I think when they watch a movie -- [ Laughing ] That's what I'm thinking of right now. I don't know. HD projector, surround sound -- they're done. That is a monster. And once we turn projector on, clicks on, screen automatically comes down. Absolutely. Awesome. Very cool. Love it. ANTHONY: We picked up some stronger adhesive for the tiles, and this time, these things are gonna stay. JOHN: Try to keep the place in the basement as bright as possible. There's not much natural light down here. Amy had told us that the basement was a dark and scary place, and when we were down here the first time, it was. It was really dark. There was little light. So that's why we're staying with as many bright colors and as many white walls as possible. John, extra set of hands? Yep. Uh, grab this side. One big thing that we wanted to do down in the basement was give them a workspace. So now we've created a desk area. It's nice and large. They can put their laptop on it. They can put any paperwork they have. So on top of giving them a desk area, we gave them a rolling-wheel table. I'll put them together. You tighten them down. I think this is gonna be pretty cool. I think they're gonna love this. A big part of their foundation is giving out care packages to kids with cancer. They assemble hundreds of boxes and need some way of keeping all of it organized. So giving them an actual assembly line will help them build boxes faster and more efficiently. Oh, this is awesome, man. ANTHONY: We're also giving them more storage for all their supplies. Before we put the finishing touches on the work area, we wanted to go on a delivery with Nicholas and Ryan to watch them do their job. JOHN: Hey, guys! What's up, gentlemen? How you doing, guys? How we doing? We here to do some work today? Yeah. This is your jobsite now, so you have to show us around. All right. Nicholas, why don't you tell us a little bit about this particular hospital. I mean, you came here to Morristown, right? Yes. And this is like a second home to me, because the nurses helped me. And so they made me better, so... Yep. That's pretty impressive, man, I got tell you. ANTHONY: You know, it was nice to see them put their foundation to work and be a part of that. Hello. How we doing? Nice to meet you. We got some good stuff in here for you. The thing that blows me away is, you know, Nicholas and Ryan -- they still are children, but they are so mature. They're really uplifting all these children's lives and giving them more hope. I know what they've been wrapped in. What's it wrapped in? Bubble Wrap. That's the best part -- pop those bubbles. Thank you so much. Follow you guys. Hello! I'm good. Hi. I'm Rebecca. Nice to meet you. Hey, Rebecca. I'm Anthony. Nice to meet you. And this is Nicholas and Ryan. We have a nice little package for you. It has an official Cancer Stinks bear called Brownie Bear. A lava lamp. That's pretty cool. Nicholas was in the same position that you were. He was here for years, going through treatment. He knows all the ups and downs, because I'm sure there are a lot of them. And he started this foundation, and he really wanted to give back. ANTHONY: You can see these kids respond to Nicholas because they can relate. And being the same age and having gone through the same experience and having survived, to hear words of positivity from somebody like that goes a whole lot further than hearing it from a doctor or, you know, somebody who wants to help you but has not been in that circumstance. You'll have two at night, and then it just keeps you safe. Thank you so much, guys. We appreciate it. Our pleasure. JOHN: It makes the project so much more powerful. It makes us want to blow it out of the water even more and do something so special for Nicholas and for Ryan, because they're giving back. They're giving to others every day. Now it's time for them to have a little fun, and that's what we're here to do. We're definitely gonna do it for them. Oh, man. Wait till Nicholas and Ryan see this one. This is gonna blow them away. Got to straighten it out. ANTHONY: After helping Nicholas and Ryan give the care packages out at the hospital, it drove home just how amazing it is for two kids, especially of this age, to be giving back. JOHN: This is the last day before they come home, and we want to give them something extra. So we decided to create a basketball arcade area that fits in with the rest of the basement. We found this indoor basketball flooring, so we're gonna install it in the area just when you enter the basement. Also, we've ordered an arcade-style basketball game to go on top of it. Hey, Ant, look at this. Like the old days... Nice! ...when we were first down here. Now they actually have a basketball court. Actually, this freakin' dribbles perfectly on this stuff. This is awesome. All right, superstar, come on. [ Rattling ] Yeah! There they are. This is any little boy's dream -- to have a wall of Legos. This is not the best project for somebody who has a little bit of OCD to be doing. [ Man laughs ] Because the spacing -- I'm, like, going for perfection here. JOHN: I can see them going crazy with this. And truth be told, it felt pretty good to dust off the old skills. You did pretty good today, buddy, did pretty good. It feels really good while you're working, accomplishing task after task, but they seem to keep coming at us. JOHN: Have to get all the carpet and tiles down. This is a very light tile, so it still is very bright in here. And I think it just gives it a little bit of a design on the floor, which I like. I feel good, but I feel like -- It's getting down to crunch time. I feel like it's gonna be pretty tight. Out of practice. So, we're getting all the furniture together and breaking up the beanbag chairs. They're gonna be great for the kids. They're gonna absolutely love them. JOHN: These are a little different. They actually have foam inside, so you have to break apart all the foam. It's a little ridiculous. It's a little difficult. See? There's no big chunks. That's what we're trying to really avoid here. ANTHONY: All they had down here before was two beanbags, but we wanted to give them a space for the whole family to enjoy. JOHN: So we got a full-size sofa and two oversized beanbags. They're gonna have plenty of seating. We are doing everything we can to give Nicholas and Ryan that basement that is just over the top. JOHN: Awesome. You want to test your speed-loading skills? Pull box, make it up. Pull box. All right. Make the box, Ant. I'd like to see you moving a little bit faster. Well, you're supposed to be here next to me. I'd like to see you moving a little faster than this. It's a one-man walk-around. There you go. Boom. Walk it right through, drop a lamp. A lamp. Way over time. Way over time. Look at that. Come on. What's the matter with that? Boom! At the end. JOHN: One of the big things that we wanted to do that we incorporated into this design is a work area for the kids. When we were down there before, they had just one folding table. It was very cramped, kind of thrown in the corner. We now have the conveyer-belt line. They're gonna be able to make a lot of boxes and help out a lot of kids with this. The basketball game just arrived. The clock is ticking, as my cousin is reminding me. We have to get that unloaded, get it downstairs, set up, 'cause that is a major, major element that we want to have for the kids once they come downstairs. It's pretty hard to have basketball flooring with no basketball. Okay, I got space now. I'm gonna pick it up, and I'm gonna have to kind of like... Put it on the corner. 1, 2, 3... [ Grunting ] Got to straighten it out. Go. [ Grunting ] Okay, John? Yep. John, let it down. Yep. I got it. You got it? We got it down the stairs -- no small feat. Never is. I mean, that was incredibly difficult. It's a tight stairway. But it looks awesome. That was the goal. I mean, I think these kids are really gonna be blown away when they get home from school. ...2, 3. Oh! [ "Charge" plays ] There it is! That is awesome. I think one of the greatest parts about doing a job and design like this -- it really makes you feel like a kid. I would love a space like this, and I know these two boys are gonna love this. All right, come on. Open 'em up. BOTH: Oh, my God! ANTHONY: We're just really, really looking forward to seeing Nicholas and Ryan's reactions and just this no-holds-barred mentality that they've already shown us. I don't know if they're ready to see what we did. No, you're ready? Yes! I couldn't fall asleep last night. I mean, I went to bed at like 11:00. JOHN: Keep them closed. Ready? All right, come on. Open 'em up. BOTH: Oh, my God! Oh, my God! [ Both screaming ] [ Laughter ] [ Sighs ] I'm just speechless right now. I don't know what to say. I'm so excited. Oh, my God. This is -- ANTHONY: You like it? This is -- I can't believe it. It's so much different. I don't remember anything now. You want to shoot some baskets? Maybe that'll help? Oh, my God. [ "Charge" plays ] Hey, guys, turn around. [ Laughter ] And then, obviously, you've got a ton of Legos. You got Legos all the way up. Oh, this is so cool. JOHN: Right? How cool is that, right? I can't believe they had things that could stick on walls, and you can really touch them. It's just amazing. Thank you so much! Oh, hi, buddy. You're very welcome. You deserve it. This was the most fun we've had all year. I want you to lay in this. Come here. I want you to lay in this. Daddy could fit on that. It's awesome! So, now you guys have two gaming areas. All of your video games, 50-inch TV. And then your movie area is on your own movie screen. ANTHONY: That's a 94-inch screen. 94-inch screen. A couch! We have a couch! We didn't have a couch before, and this is just huge that we have a couch. Our old basement -- we had to get rid of it. I love that. That is so nice. JOHN: And then, if you look, you have all surround sound throughout the entire place. And guess what's behind the walls and in the ceiling. [ Gasps ] So it's quiet. You want to check out your office area? Keep going. Oh, my God! JOHN: Listen, the whole point of this office area was -- we saw what you had before. You had the one little table. We wanted to give you a full-service office. You can write on the entire desktop. Oh, my God! So, I know you had that little board before. Now you have every single wall here that you can keep your inventory and keep track of everything. NICHOLAS: I can't believe you can write marker on it. No walls can do that. We got a whole new assembly line for you guys to start building boxes. These bins! I thought this was a ladder! And we put your cubbies up here. You can slide the boxes down, and then once they're full, you stack them underneath. That is awesome! JOHN: We want as many boxes as possible pumped out. That's right. So, we got one more surprise. You are official members now of... the "Cousins on Call" team. That is for you, buddy. Boom! Thank you so much for the basement, but thank you so much for going with the delivery with us. This basement means so much to us right now. It was a treat for us, too, so thank you for having us. NICHOLAS: I feel amazing. I just feel so special. I will always remember this moment in my life, right now. AMY: [ Voice breaking ] We have been knocked down a lot, and it changed everything. And I don't even think a thank-you is enough. I'm gonna play every day. Yep, every day. Every day.