BRADENTON - A Manatee County man is finally back home, after spending almost three years in a rehabilitation center in Fort Lauderdale.  His homecoming made possible by a generous group of volunteers.

It was an emotional day for many.  It was the first time in a long time Jeremy Widner was able to wake up in his own bed.

The dream come true started to come together more than two years ago, when the Manatee Association of Realtors decided they wanted to make a difference.

20-year-old Jeremy says being home with his family just feels good.  It also gives him a new kind of independence.  "Freedom," says Jeremy.

It's been a long road to get there.  Almost three years ago, Widner got a grass burn while playing flag football.  His mom Vanessa Widner says it led to an infection that almost took his life.  "We took him to the hospital...he was in septic shock, multi system failure.  He had damage to the spinal cord, swelling in the cerebellum, there was not a part of his body that it didn't affect," says Vanessa.

Before the infection, Jeremy was heavily involved in helping others.  He logged in more than 6,000 hours of community service, a statistic that caught the attention of the Manatee Association of Realtors.

The group recently started a community outreach project that gives home makeovers to deserving citizens in need.  Jeremy's family was selected, but the economy took a down turn and made the project difficult to complete.  "It slowed down but we never gave up.  Then we went to alternatives as far as different people for getting in...there were 42 different subcontractors and companies that all put in their time and effort and most of it being gratis, to be able to make this come about," says Russel Legrand, President, La Maison Homes.

The volunteers say bringing Jeremy home is worth all of the hard work.  "It is a great sort of emotional.  I feel pride, and I feel pride in my community and pride in my association of realtors and pride in the human beings that I live and breathe and work with everyday.  I'm so proud of everybody, it's been an extraordinary experience," says realtor Deeana Atkinson, also chairperson, of "My Community Makeover."

Jeremy says his favorite part of the house is his own bedroom decorated with his favorite football team, the Georgia Bulldogs.  "I am just so happy for him and his family especially for him, he's got a home he can get around in if we hadn't done this he would still be in a nursing home in Fort Lauderdale," says realtor Linda Wagner, the chairperson for the project.

The Widner family says their new journey is just beginning, and they have a long road ahead but it's one they can face together each day.

The realtors say Jeremy's family still needs your help.  They are looking for a large van to transport Jeremy more easily.  Go to www.mycommunitymakeover.com if you'd like information on how you can help.