With Halloween fast approaching, there are plenty of places you can go to get spooked. But one haunted house under construction is inspired by something scarier than any ghost or goblin.
Seeing a bunch of 2x4s scattered about his yard, I asked Jacob Blake if his vision would be complete by the weekend.
"Oh yeah it’s going to be done for Halloween," said Blake.
Spooky creatures, live and otherwise, will haunt visitors to his Port St. Lucie home this weekend.
Hurricane Matthew delayed construction, but the storm is a minor obstacle compared to what Jacob went through as a kid.
Blake was five when doctors diagnosed him with a rare brain disorder. Survival wasn’t certain. It took a year for him to talk afterward.
“Kind of a lot to hear. You won’t make it past this point or you won’t graduate high school," said Blake.
Not long after, Jacob’s older brother was found to have a different brain disorder. In between years of trips to l in UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, both boys received “wishes” from the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Jacob’s wish, to meet Cher, changed his life.
“From that I found out I liked makeup, hair and all that," said Blake.
Today, the brothers are healthy.
Jacob, now 24, works in a local salon. He hopes his story will encourage others struggling with medical crises at such a young age.
“Be able to help those kids who were in the same boat as I wish and give them some hope for after the wish,” said Jacob.
Jacob’s mom believes the physical reminders of what he went through, helps spread his message.
“To help all other children realize they don’t need to feel different, they don’t need to feel any of that," said Lauri Blake.
We first met the Blake family seven years ago when they began this annual haunted house tradition. It’s raised enough money to grant at least one wish annually.
So if you’re the neighborhood this weekend, stop by the Blake house in the 200 block of SW Eyerly between Airoso and Bayshore.
It costs just $2.00 to get your fright on and you can help some kids who’ve gone through some really scary times.