They walk up to the porch, Cooper's favorite part of the house. It's a comfortable area outside, right off the kitchen, with four unique rocking chairs. Cooper, who has multiple sclerosis, pulls his wheelchair up along the other rockers, many times with his dog relaxing on a little blanket between his feet.
Claire says, "This is the best place to have a cup of coffee. If Claire had to pick her favorite part she didn't want to pick just one it would be what she calls Ty's bathroom. Ty Pennington built a luxurious master bathroom for them. Cooper, however, had a particular request of Pennington for his wife. The master bedroom. First up in the morning, the last up at night, the person who takes care of us all.
She's got a nice place to rest now. Cooper has newfound freedom in this house. The entire home is handicap accessible, including the kitchen, which easily allows Cooper to cook, which he loves. His wife adds, with a smile, he can also do dishes.
During the night now, Cooper told me, "I slide from the bed over into the wheelchair, me and my dog spend time outside. We sit back and marvel at the house. I sit and pray and thank God for it. He also is very thankful for Pennington's special gift to him. An office full of Cooper's war memorabilia, including a medallion given to Cooper by former four-star general Colin Powell.
The Cooper's went to Washington DC during the week of the build and that's when Cooper got the chance to visit Powell, a man he greatly admires and calls his old boss. Cooper was awestruck when Powell thanked him for his service. At that moment Cooper felt he should be thanking Powell for his service. There is also a memorial in the front of the house given especially to Cooper from the Extreme Makeover design team.
A stone bench with each of Cooper's family members who have served in the military inscribed in honor or loving memory. Along with the newfound freedom, Cooper's faith is confirmed. Cooper told me, God "promises he will give it back to us ten fold, and my house is a testament to that. Demolishing the old house, a year-old, 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom bungalow, and building a new one would have normally taken months, but with hundreds of workers the job can be crammed into a week.
Everybody is stacked on top of each other," said project leader Tom Quackenbush, who has overseen hundreds of home projects for Atlanta-based HomeLife Communities, the building company partnering with the show.
The hour-a-day construction schedule means multiple work crews are needed for a single job. Drywall, which usually takes seven days to hang and finish, was done in 12 hours. One of the biggest challenges was lining up enough crews to install stones on the house's exterior -- a job that was done in about 24 hours instead of the typical 10 to 12 days, Quackenbush said.
Neighbors and others who walk by periodically to check on the house's progress said they're amazed by the quick transformation. He said most of his customers are neighbors who are putting up with the short-term inconveniences. They've complained about the noise, traffic and blocked streets but are more passionate about being a part of helping those in need, he said. Mary Catherine Hinds, who lives on one of the blocked-off streets, said she's disappointed the Riggins' old house was demolished instead of renovated.
But as crews wrapped up work Wednesday, Vasic said people in Raleigh have rallied to support the Riggins family. It's kind of a pay-it-forward effect. Increase Text Size Print this story. Close Comments. View all.
0コメント