Reality TV show to build Coopers new home
The family of a Gulf War veteran living in Martin County has been selected to have a new home built for them by the design staff of ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” and hundreds of Albemarle-area volunteers.
Jeff Cooper and his wife Clara and two children, Aaron and Windy, got a surprise Friday morning when Ty Pennington, star of the reality TV series, knocked on the front door of their mobile home in Jamesville and announced they had been selected to be featured on the show.
“I’m excited,” said Jeff, who added that he knew for 11 months that his family was among five being considered for the show.
Added Clara, “I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen (with the house). I’m a country girl. Anything is fine.”
According to a press release from Edenton Builders Inc., the Edenton construction firm that will be helping coordinate the rebuild of the Coopers’ home, the Jamesville family fits the focus of this year’s season on “Extreme Makeover”: everyday people exhibiting heroism in the face of hardship.
“It’s building a house like anything else,” said John Norris, president of Edenton Builders.
Jeff Cooper, according to the press release, was a combat medic with the U.S. Army in the Gulf War in the early 1990s. Today, he suffers from Gulf War Syndrome, immune disorders and multiple sclerosis. He also is confined to a wheelchair.
Despite his physical setbacks, he has been a strong advocate for both veterans and the disabled, the release states. He lobbied the state Legislature for a special license plate honoring Gulf War veterans.
Cooper’s multiple illnesses aren’t his family’s only tragedy. Two years ago, his son, Aaron, was injured when he was run over by a garbage truck. Cooper used his medic skills to save his son’s life, but the boy lost most of his right arm and survived several surgeries since.
“It’s very exciting,” said Aaron, 14, a Jamesville High School student. “I’m anticipating more space in the house.”
According to the press release, the Coopers currently live in an aging doublewide mobile home with bad wiring, a sinking roof and a rotting ramp.
Pennington and fellow designers Michael Moloney, Paige Hemmis and Ed Sanders plan to replace the trailer with a custom-designed home built by Edenton Builders and a work force of a thousand volunteers. The local architect on the project is Jonathan White of Beacon Architecture in Kitty Hawk.
“We’re excited to be part of doing something wonderful for this family,” said Russ Ayers of Bennie A. Moore Septic Service, a local company. “We knew nothing about them until today.”
On site in case anyone needs medical attention during the project is a team of 50 area volunteers, coordinated by Dr. Lei Devine of Edenton and assisted by Chowan Hospital administrator Jeff Sackrison.
Devine, a cancer survivor, said the medical team will be on hand “24-7 for the duration of the project.
“Since I have had cancer and am now cancer-free, I just wanted to do something to give back,” he said. “We’re here to treat bumps and cuts. We’ll give them a tetanus shot and get them back to work.”
According to the release, the Coopers plan to leave their home today for a vacation to Washington, D.C. When they return Friday, March 13, work on their new home will be complete, the release states. Demolition of their mobile home is scheduled to take place Sunday.
The Coopers’ home is located at 1292 Coopers Lane, Jamesville. Spectators are welcome at the site Monday through Friday, but must check in at the DFI Building at 29333 U.S. Highway 64 in Jamesville, where they will receive parking instructions.
A “Makeover” designer said sufficient materials have been donated for the project. Anyone wanting to donate gift cards to the family should check out the show’s Web site for instructions, she said.
Amber Revels of The Enterprise/Weekly Herald/Down East Magazine and Rebecca Bunch of The Chowan Herald contributed to this report
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