Military Family Gets New Home After Being Hit With Hurricanes, Health Problems and Hardship
The Phipps family received the gift of a lifetime today ... and one that was well deserved: their dream home.
Here's the backstory: A few years ago, Steven Phipps was forced to retire early from serving in the Navy due to health issues brought on by debilitating bouts of rheumatoid arthritis. Then, wife Mary also had to leave her job in order to take care of him. To make matters worse, Hurricane Irene and several rounds of severe weather further battered their Baltic, CT home, leaving them clinging to household solutions like using a Guitar Hero drumstick to prop open windows.
Upon seeing their new home
revealed this morning, Mary Phipps couldn't contain her excitement. "I'm so excited, so happy, eternally grateful for everyone who put all of their hard work into this," she said.
Steven Phipps gave in to emotion, his voice faltering as he told Alisyn Camerota about what he loves most about the home. "My fave part of the home, aside from the color and the styling and everything else, is the fact that is a house I could give to my wife," Phipps said, becoming choked up. "Her being happy is, y'know, what makes me happy the most."
He continued, saying, "The last three years she's been the rock that's held everybody together. I didn't want to quit my job, but I had to because I wasn't medically fit to serve anymore. She lost her job to taking care of me. Y'know, she's the one who keeps everyone together and keeps us sane, and I couldn't thank her too much for that."
Phipps went on to say that it feels good to have a home he can be proud of. "Things like this don't happen to people like me, and I'm just so grateful for everyone who was involved in this process."
(Ply Gem and GAF were the sponsors of the contest entered and won by the Phipps family)
