The couple designed the accessible home for 9-year-old Calan and 5-year-old Lawson, and even paid off the mortgage.
A family with two disabled sons had the home makeover of a lifetime when Chip and Joanna Gaines of HGTV’s Fixer Upper made their home wheelchair-accessible, but the generosity didn't stop there.
Little did the Copp family realize, they would also have their mortgage paid off, thanks to the show's many fans.
"We're so excited [and] at the same time, we're just still trying to breathe it all in,” Jody Copp told KWTX. “As far as the house, just being able to move in and what it's provided the boys, the accessibility, it’s just been amazing.”
His sons, 9-year-old Calan and 5-year-old Lawson, were born with a rare genetic condition that makes it difficult for them to walk. It is unclear whether the condition will improve or worsen, doctors said.
With the help of an online fundraiser, the Copps raised enough money to purchase a home in 2016, but then came across the difficulty of making everything wheelchair accessible, including lower counter tops and appliances, wider doorways, ramps, and an accessible shower.
But when Joanna and Chip took on the project, the family was also surprised with a wheelchair-friendly backyard that includes a race track, a toy wall and lowered desks for the pair to do their homework.
Former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow even dropped by the home to play with Calan and Lawson.
Just as the Copps thought they couldn’t be happier with their home, they learned the shows’ fans had paid off the mortgage on their brand new home.
Before completing the project, Chip Gaines posted a photo of him and the boys on Instagram, asking his fans to donate to pay off the Copp family’s mortgage.
It took only days before the fundraiser reached its goal.
“It is with great joy and a huge smile on my face that we have one less battle and struggle in our world," Melissa Copp wrote on Facebook earlier this month. “We got a call this morning that this amazing home we are living in is now mortgage free.”
The surprise came during the premiere of the Gaines’ fifth season of Fixer Upper, which will be their last.
The couple said they would be walking away from the show, an announcement that left their fans shocked, to spend more time with family after Joanna announced she was pregnant last month.
The pair hinted that they conceived their baby boy after a particularly romantic Johnnyswim concert in the fall.
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