TUCKEY RESTORATION HELPS GIVE FAMILY HOPE

On July 1, 2008, twelve days before his 21st birthday, Brian Keefer (an all-around college athlete, volleyball player & coach, record-holding track & field athlete, and president of his college’s gymnastics club) suffered a gymnastics injury that paralyzed him from his neck down. Brian was a sophomore at Lock Haven University heading into his junior year. With this injury, Brian needed 24-hour care and his father Steve didn’t hesitate. After working for over 30 years at a distribution post for the military, he gave up his job and regular life to move onto the college campus with Brian as his primary care aide. With his Dad’s help, Brian is in many ways thriving: he even won Homecoming King at his college.
At his family home, Brian is limited to only a few downstairs rooms of the house. With all his equipment, his makeshift room is very small and cluttered. Brian often feels trapped like a prisoner. Also, the best therapy for Brian is aqua-therapy and although the home has an outdoor pool that Steve built for his sons when they were younger – it is not accessible by Brian in his wheelchair.

The EMHE design team had just seven days to build a ‘forever home’ for Brian which affords him both adult independence as he grows and proximity to his family to take care of him. The Keefer family  was whisked away on a dream vacation while “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” team leader Ty Pennington, designers Paul DiMeo, Ed Sanders, Jillian Harris, Tracy Hutson and local business Musser Home Builders, Inc., Tuckey Restoration and community volunteers, rebuilt the structure.

The EMHE team was able to remodel the current family home and create another fully-accessible home for Brian with a separate entrance. Tuckey Restoration assisted by providing drying services, including dehumidification and round-the-clock monitoring and labor, to expedite the drying of the drywall, primer, and paint in the interior and exterior of the home.   The project was completed the week of June 19, 2011 in Etters, PA and will air this Friday, October 21, 2011 at 8pm ET on ABC. 

Tuckey Restoration, Inc. has been providing insurance restoration services in the Carlisle marketplace since 1995 and has been a DKI Member since 1996. DKI is the exclusive dry down vendor for Season 9 of 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.