Landa family sees their new home

Griswold – The Landas have come home.

The family, which has suffered through a series of unfortunate events, was welcomed to their new house this afternoon by more than 100 relatives, friends and volunteers who worked on their new 3,600-square-foot home.

In June, their raised ranch burned. David Landa, a quadriplegic, was dragged from the house by his son Kyle, now 20, and helped by his wife Dawne. Daughter Bethany was not at home at the time.

This afternoon, as they filed out of their blue van, and David was wheeled carefully out the back, the tears again flowed freely, this time from joy and anticipation.

"She sure looks a little different than the last time I saw her," David said as his eyes moved around the landscaping and driveway of the new house. The view of the two-story structure itself was obstructed by a rented U-Haul truck.

When the truck moved, the reaction was immediate. David looked stunned. Bethany, 17, and her mother sobbed.

"Do you like it?" was all Dawne could say as she hugged her husband's shoulder.

"Yes," he said.

Volunteers from a foundation created after an ABC Extreme Makeover: Home Edition project in December 2008 in Voluntown began working on the house in July. This afternoon was the first time the Landa family saw the nearly complete project.