During his five-week hospital stay, Hialeah firefighter Dennis Ryan kept dreaming of the day he could go home.

When that day finally came on Monday, Ryan never expected the surprise he got when he entered his house: His co-workers had given his Pembroke Pines home a makeover.

As Ryan, a single father of two children, was wheeled out of a Hialeah ambulance Monday afternoon, family, friends and firefighters cheered for him as he got his first glimpse of his remodeled digs.

''Wow, this is unbelievable,'' he said. ``Who do I start writing checks to?''

Just days after the June accident in which an on-duty Ryan was hit by a car, his co-workers got to work.

What started out as just a few kitchen and plumbing repairs turned into a major project -- one that brought together firefighters from Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

Hialeah firefighter Michael Cofresi, who organized the effort, said it was a way for Ryan to see how much his co-workers care about him.

''We didn't want him to have to worry about anything -- except his recovery -- when he got home,'' Cofresi said.

At times, up to two dozen firefighters spent their days off at Ryan's house, installing kitchen cabinets, adding new light fixtures and painting the exterior.

Paint, hardware supplies, a new air conditioner, a custom-built closet, sports memorabilia and $5,000 worth of new furniture were donated.

Firefighters used their own money to pay for landscaping, a new concrete circular driveway and a sprinkler system.

The most needed fixes, however, were inside the house.

For that, they recruited Ryan's 13-year-old daughter, Chelsea, to be the interior decorator.

The first job was painting over the Pepto Bismol walls and removing the floral wallpaper border that lined the bedroom- and living-room ceilings.

Ryan's bedroom also had his ex-wife's feminine touch.

The pink walls, flowery comforter and mauve carpet were exchanged for a more ''masculine'' look that included hardwood floors and framed sports photographs of his favorite teams, the Florida Marlins and the University of Miami football team.

As for the bedding, the choice was simple.

''Now he has plaids and stripes like a real man,'' Cofresi said.

Rookie designer Chelsea said her decorating job was often stressful.

''We've lived in this house for nine years,'' she said. ``To see it all different and know that I was in charge was kind of scary.''

Just hours before his arrival, more than 25 people scurried around Ryan's house making last minute fixes.

To raise money to help Ryan and his family, the Hialeah Fire Department is hosting a charity fishing tournament in August. Anyone can take part.

''We're a family,'' Hialeah firefighter Eugene Gonzalez said of his colleagues. ``We hold a special bond.''

Ryan agreed, saying he is lucky to be able to celebrate his homecoming with so many friends and family.

Weeks ago, there was a time he wasn't sure he would ever see them again.

The day of the accident was like any other, except that it was on Father's Day.

Ryan, an 18-year veteran, was helping his crew back a firetruck out of an apartment building parking lot onto West 28th Avenue and 55th Street when a minivan slammed into him, knocking him through the windshield and then on the pavement.

He remembers lying on the street, still conscious, hoping that he would survive.

''I thank God every day that I got a second chance,'' Ryan said, ``and that I get to hug my kids again.''

Ryan was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center, where he underwent four surgeries to his right leg and was treated for damage to his ear, nose and eyelids.

He walks with crutches and sometimes uses a wheelchair but Ryan said that is only a small price to pay.

It is unknown whether he will ever return to his work as a firefighter. For now, he is focused on his recovery.

He looks forward to spending time with his daughter and his 7-year-old son, Kory, who have been staying with his sister.

Ryan said he owes his survival to his children, family and firefighting friends, who regularly visited him in the hospital.

''I knew the brotherhood of firefighters was close,'' Ryan said, ``but I never would have imagined how close and how dedicated and truly caring these people are.''