H.J. Martin was honored to team with local non-profit Design Angels to help make a positive impact on the life of a young boy who has battled cancer for most of his life.

Carson Murfield is a three-and-a-half year old who has had three brain tumors since birth.  He first was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor at 5 months old.  After it was removed and he spent 18 months in radiation and physical therapy, Carson’s brain tumor returned.  He underwent a second surgery and a trial therapy, but a new tumor developed.

Working with Design Angels, H.J. Martin stepped in to provide the Murfield family with flooring for its entire residence, including Carson’s bedroom, after seeing the existing floors in great disrepair.  Designer Annette Kuester, a Design Angels volunteer, personally chose the products and colors to fit the family’s home in Bellevue, Wis.

Design Angels volunteers Annette and Kevin Kuester apply a racing flag decal on the bedroom wall

Design Angels then transformed the young boy’s bedroom into a Cars-themed room, based on his love of the hit Disney movie.  Everything from a Cars bed to wall decals was put in place in time for the big “reveal” on Nov. 22.

“Awesome!” was Carson’s reaction as he saw his redecorated bedroom for the first time.

“I could not possibly be happier than I am right now,” said Gretchen Loch, founder of Design Angels, minutes after Carson ventured into his new room for the first time.  “This is so overwhelming – when you walk into the house right now, the new flooring makes it warm. You can just feel how much better it is in here, and how much healthier it is for Carson and the whole family.

“Working with Annette and H.J. Martin, it was very easy to put this together, along with a number of other good sponsors.  Normally when we call on a flooring company to help us, we would just be looking to have the child’s bedroom done.  But when H.J. Martin stepped up, they said we really need to do the whole house, and I’m amazed that they would do that much.”

Design Angels is a non-profit organization based in De Pere, Wis., that provides warm, comfortable and uplifting surroundings to children and teens living with terminal or life-threatening illnesses.

Christy Murfield, Carson’s mother, was overwhelmed by the impact of the project on their family.  “It’s beautiful,” she said.  “It’s given us a much cozier home.  Compared to what we had, it’s just awesome. The house seems so much more like home.”

“With the new flooring, it’s like a whole new house,” added Matthew Murfield, Carson’s father.

The finished, new bedroom of Carson Murfield

More information on Carson can be found at the Murfield’s GoFundMe page.

H.J. Martin additionally is giving financially to Design Angels, along with Special Spaces-Green Bay.  Until Dec. 20, the company is donating $100 to the organizations for every flooring purchase made at its Green Bay and Neenah, Wis., locations.

Special Spaces-Green Bay is the local chapter of a national non-profit that creates dream bedrooms for children with life-challenging illnesses.  Built on the model that children facing severe health issues need a “special space” for them to heal, recover and find peace, the organization was founded in 2004 in Knoxville, Tenn.  Special Spaces came to Wisconsin late in 2012 and started its Green Bay affiliate the following year.

The majority of children that Special Spaces works with are referred by an area children’s hospital.  The child then becomes the main “designer” of a Special Spaces room makeover.  Volunteers are utilized for 95 percent of the Special Spaces workforce.

H.J. Martin currently is in the midst of a project for Special Spaces-Green Bay and plans an update when completed in 2015.