When Cindy Mullins went to the hospital in December 2023 for an elective procedure to remove kidney stones, no one expected her life to change forever.
After doctors placed stents to prevent a blockage, Cindy went home to recover. The next day, her husband, DJ, found her unconscious on the bathroom floor. She was taken to the hospital, where doctors discovered her kidney was surrounded by infection and she had gone into septic shock.
Sepsis is an extreme reaction to infection. It affects more than 1.7 million adults in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For every hour treatment is delayed, the risk of dying from sepsis increases.
Doctors were able to save Cindy’s life, but the infection caused severe damage. Her arms and legs had lost blood flow and could not be saved. Cindy, who now had prosthetics, needed a home that could help her live more independently.
That is where her community stepped in.
More than 60 contractors and suppliers, along with more than 350 people, came together to build a 7,000-square-foot accessible home for the Mullins family. One of the companies that helped make it happen was Builders Supply, a Stanford, Kentucky-based Do it Best member.
Builders Supply provided building materials and worked closely with the Mullins family and project facilitator Douglas Rose to keep the build moving forward. The home was completed in just 10 days.
For Builders Supply owner H.R. “Short” Saufley, the project showed what can happen when people work together for a greater purpose.
Short’s father started Builders Supply in 1963. The company has been part of the local community for more than 60 years, and that long history made the project even more personal.
Organizers worked with the Mullins family to design a home around Cindy’s needs. The home includes wide hallways, doorways, and sidewalks for wheelchair access, lowered kitchen appliances, and a voice-activated bathroom and light fixtures. The design also includes special features to help Cindy live more independently.
Builders Supply was not alone. Other suppliers and companies contributed products, materials, labor, and support. Do it Best members and vendors joined the effort, including Do it Best, KY Wholesale, Kwik-Set, Affordable Truss, Culpeper, Georgia Pacific, Klumb Forest Products, and Tri-State Forest Products.
The project became more than a house. It became a community effort to support Cindy, honor her strength, and help raise awareness about sepsis.
Cindy said she wants others to recognize the signs of sepsis in time. She lost her arms and legs, but she hopes her story can help save someone else.
Builders Supply’s team stayed involved throughout the build, from material support to deliveries and logistics. Short credited his team, including Contractor Sales Manager Kirby Brannock, Yard Manager Sam Bishop, and Account Manager Gail Isaacs, for helping make sure the needed materials were available and delivered.
For Builders Supply, this project reflects what independent LBM businesses do best. They show up. They know their community. And when people need help, they find a way to build something that matters.
