HUDSON VALLEY DKI HELPS GIVE FAMILY DREAM HOME

After giving birth to a child with dwarfism, Jimmy and Darlene Korpai turned their attention to advocating for their little girl.  As President and Vice President of the New York chapter of Little People of America, their goal is to erase ignorance, increase understanding and give families of little people support and help. On an even more personal level, they also dream of having a home that offers their daughter, Hailey, independence and autonomy, so she can grow from the happy-go-lucky, playful girl she is at this moment, into a strong adult who can rely on herself and not let her size deter her from pursuing her life with the same energy and joy she has now. 

High school sweethearts, Jimmy and Darlene Korpai had been planning their life together since they were seventeen.

They got married, bought a great piece of property with a two-story fixer-upper and they got pregnant – all according to plan.  Fifteen minutes after Hailey was born, Jimmy and Darlene's carefully orchestrated future took a turn.  They learned that their new baby girl had a form of dwarfism and for weeks, that was about all they knew.  Information was hard to find and it took them months just to learn that there was a Little People support group in their area. Hailey is now 5 and the Korpais have added baby brother Hudson, 1, and a whole lot of advocacy to their lives, but there is currently not enough room in their home. 

More importantly, there are not the right kind of roomsto keep Hailey safe, independent, and happy and to host functions and meetings for their organization.  They dream of a home where Hailey can grow up with access to every aspect of their home, one which allows her the freedom and independence to do everyday things on her own like brush her teeth, bake, turn off light switches, etc.  The Korpai home is also the facility for the New York chapter of Little People of America so there is a need for it to be one-story and wheelchair accessible to accommodate little people visitors as well as Hailey.    

The EM:HE design team had just seven days to build a brand new home for the Korpai family, one that is safe, secure and accessible for Hailey and Little People of America visitors. The Korpai family was whisked away on a Disney Cruise vacation to the Bahamas, while “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” team leader Ty Pennington, designers Jillian Harris, Ed Sanders and Paul DiMeo, local builders Hearthstone Commercial & Residential Contracting, community volunteers and Hudson Valley DKI built the structure. The project was completed the week of August 18, 2011 and the episode will air Sunday, October 16, 2011 at 8pm ET on ABC.  

Hudson Valley DKI has been providing insurance restoration services to the New York marketplace since 2001 and has been a Member of DKI since 2007. DKI is the exclusive dry down vendor for ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.  Founded in 1974, DKI assists insurance carriers, commercial and residential clients with restoring properties damaged by fire, water, wind and mold. 

The Emmy award winning reality program Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, is now in its 9th season.