A new room for Robbie

The renovation took about three weeks to complete, according to show producers. Seated on his new bed were Robbie; his sister, Allison; their parents, Kathy and Robert; and “George to the Rescue” host George Oliphant.

Donovan Berthoud/Herald

Cast members from the off-Broadway show “Stomp” performed.

Donovan Berthoud/Herald

Dozens of supporters gathered in front of the Twible home for the taping.

Donovan Berthoud/Herald

Broadway posters of Robbie’s favorite shows decorate his new room

Donovan Berthoud/Herald

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The Twibles stood on their front stoop on June 1, staring at a sea of supporters gathered on their lawn to celebrate yet another momentous occasion in a year full of generous acts for the benefit of the East Meadow family. This time it was a renovation of Robbie Twible’s bedroom, courtesy of “NBC’s George to the Rescue,” a television show that does home improvements for people in need.

With the cameras rolling, a chant of “Robbie! Robbie!” arose from the crowd of friends, family, show producers and contractors who worked on the home, a show of support for the 13-year-old Clarke eighth-grader who has epidermolysis bullosa, a rare skin disease.

Fighting back tears, Robbie’s father, Robert, struggled to find the words to express his thanks. “We’re very overwhelmed. Very touched,” he said, standing next to his son, his wife, Kathy, and their daughter, Allison. “Thank you to everybody for making our dreams come true and helping our son.”

The three-week-long renovation of Robbie’s bedroom not only spruced it up to suit his interests — it now has a Broadway theme — but also included adjustments to accommodate the day-to-day struggles that are unique to his disease.

Those who have epidermolysis bullosa, commonly referred to as EB, lack a critical protein that binds layers of skin together, and they deal with severe blistering all over the body, including the eyes, mouth, esophagus and internal organs. There is no known cure. Robbie wears bandages to protect his skin, which must be changed daily. A changing table once sat in his bedroom, a constant reminder of his condition, which made him reluctant to invite friends there, his mother said.

Following the renovation, a new changing table is hidden behind a sliding wall in the bedroom. There’s no indication that it’s there at all. “It was an eyesore,” said Kathy. “The first thing you saw was the table. All the bandages were around his bed. So here he’ll never see it. It’s still in his room, but it’s out of sight, and hopefully out of mind.”