CLARKSVILLE -- The floodwaters that claimed their home and all their belongings receded some time ago, but Michelle and David Lucas feared it would be some time before the storm clouds finally cleared. Now it looks as if the sun is starting to shine again for the couple, whose two sons both suffer from a debilitating disorder.

"We're finally getting some good news, and we're pretty excited about it," David said.

A previous Courier article chronicled the plight of the Lucas family, whose sons, Keith and Daniel, both suffer from a rare disorder known as Lesch-Nyhan syndrome. The family's home was destroyed in the record June flooding, and they experienced multiple setbacks trying to find a place to stay in the wake of the flooding.

When the home they rented after the floods was sold out from under them, they secured a FEMA trailer only to be told it contained mold and they had to move into a hotel for an indefinite amount of time. Because of a scheduling error, the hotel only was booked for four days instead of the expected two weeks. The family was eventually forced to relocate to Ohio, staying with Michelle's sister until everything could be sorted out at home.

During all of this, the family still had to manage the day-to-day challenges of the boys' disorder, which renders Keith, 16, and Daniel, 12, virtually unable to care for themselves. Lesch-Nyhan syndrome is characterized by a buildup of uric acid in the body, which results in moderate retardation, poor muscle control and self-mutilating behaviors such as finger and lip biting.

Financial issues made matters worse for the family, who not only lost all of their possessions in the flood, but were left with a $55,000 mortgage on a house that was no longer inhabitable.

Initially, David said that Chase bank refused to budge on the mortgage, even after the family's circumstances were revealed.

After he spent approximately 7,000 cell phone minutes -- which equaled a $400 cell phone bill -- calling the bank to try and get something worked out, the company David works for sent the family a liaison out of South Carolina to help them get their business matters in order.

"She spent a lot of time trying to get us a three-month deferment on the mortgage," David said. The liason eventually got in touch with officials at the bank who said that they hadn't previously been aware of the family's circumstances. Michelle said she had heard that several people had sent Chase bank a copy of the previous Courier article, and their story had caught the attention of some higher officials at Chase. The bank agreed to review the mortgage arrangements and make a decision on what they would take as a payoff.

The result: A $55,000 mortgage was lowered to $15,200, the amount of money the family had received from FEMA.

"That is absolutely amazing news," Michelle said. "We may be able to start rebuilding as early as next year. We really didn't expect this, and we didn't really know what we were going to do before this happened."

Adding to the good news was FEMA's announcement that it had located another trailer for the family, which was set up in Clarksville last week. The family is planning to move into it Friday.

Michelle said that Keith and Daniel were excited to return home and start school.

Change is particularly hard on people with Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, so the constant disruption in their daily routine over the last few months has been difficult for the boys. Keith, who underwent a process known as deep brain stimulation back in April to help control his injurious behaviors, was progressing well with the therapy until the flooding.

"It helped a lot right away," Michelle said. "We noticed a markedly different change in his injurious behaviors, but he went back to the old behaviors out of habit after the flood. Not being able to go home or have a normal routine really upset both boys."

She added that since the family has gotten settled in Ohio, Keith's behavior has improved dramatically. He has been sleeping without the restraints that both boys use in bed to prevent them from injuring themselves, and his body has relaxed quite a bit from its usually rigid posture.

Michelle and David hope that once they get settled back in Clarksville that they can continue a regular schedule for the DBS therapy, which should help Keith even more. They are hoping to start Daniel on the same treatment as soon as he gains some weight, which should begin happening when he gets settled and comfortable with his surroundings, according to David.

"We were trying hard not to be negative about all of this, because we know there are a lot of people out there in the same situation as us," Michelle said. "We're just glad that it looks as if things are finally starting to look up."

Contact Samantha Donisi

at newsroom@wcfcourier.com.