Rebuilding A Home, And Lives

When Hurricane Katrina blew in last August, it literally tore lives apart.

Like much of Mississippi's Gulf Coast, the Point Cadet neighborhood in Biloxi was destroyed. It's a community in ruins, its future clouded by question marks.

One family wound up living in trailers. But, for its "Week of Wishes" series, The Early Show arranged for the large family abode to be rebuilt.

Biloxi fireman Curtis Lopez grew up just around the corner from Ann, who would become his wife.

After Katrina,

At the time, three trailers housed seven family members, whose lives had been changed forever. No storm had ever chased them away, but Katrina was different. Friends had helped them find a home to ride out the storm in Jasper, Ala.

It was four days before Curtis got back to Biloxi's Fire Station Nine. Until then, his buddies weren't sure he was alive.

His 15-room home — and everything in it — had disappeared, but Curtis went to work. With his son Justin, he distributed food and supplies.

His extended family, children, in-laws and grandchildren stayed together for weeks. Finally, they got their trailers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and a break — from each other.

"The amount of stress is unbelievable," Curtis said. "It's hard to explain when you put families together.

"I'm surprised we're still together," Ann said. "We chew each other up and then we spit each other out at the end of the day. It has really been, really, I mean, really, really, really, really bad."

Ann's granddaughter, Olivia, represents the fifth generation of her family to live on the property. At the moment, it's not the life the family had planned on.

"This must drive you crazy," Smith said to Ann.

"It does," she agreed, adding, "I keep telling him (Curtis) that every day. I say, 'I have to get back to some normalcy.' "

By the time Smith visited more than a month ago, it was obvious to Ann, her daughter-in-law Bridgett, and 3-year-old Olivia, that it was going to be a slow process.

"She (Olivia) cried for the first time," a choked-up Bridget remembered, "and said, 'Mom, I miss our house and I miss all my toys.' "

Like so many Gulf Coast addresses, 133 Myrtle Street will never be the same, Smith said.

"It's almost like you took us, and you moved us somewhere," Ann said. "Even though it's our property, we've been moved."

On Wednesday, Curtis and Ann chatted with Smith on The Early Show set, thinking they were just providing an update on how their family is faring.

Little did they know, they were in for a huge surprise.

At first, Smith pretended it was indeed a regular interview, asking them if life had gotten any more normal since his visit.

"Oh yeah, yeah," said Ann, not the least bit suspicious of what was to come. "Now we've got dishes and pots. Yeah."

"I rebuilt my shed," Curtis told Smith, "and I put a washer-dryer in there. And we were so happy just to get it working. That was two days ago."

"He hugged it!" Ann said.

Then Smith let the "wishes" cat out of the bag, telling Curtis and Ann they were actually there because their friend from Jasper, Gail Bagley, saw the piece Smith did back in October and wrote to the "Week of Wishes."

Gail read parts of her letter: "These people have endured so much and asked for so little. They need everything, but my wish for them would be some basics that you and I take for granted every day. Little Olivia Lopez needs a home for her toys that Santa is gonna bring."

Smith then said, "We've got three gentlemen teaming up to make Gail's wish for you come true. First, Scott Syphax, CEO of the Nehemiah Corporation of America, a nonprofit group that Syphax said "has provided more than 200,000 families with the down-payment to buy their first home." Syphax is donating $50,000 toward the construction of a new Lopez home in Biloxi.

With that, Ann started dabbing at her eyes.

John Ruble, a builder from Gulfport, Miss., and the owner of Bayou Plantation Homes said he's "only too familiar with the devastation Katrina caused," and announced that the North Carolina Baptist Men's Katrina Relief Effort and his company will help build the new Lopez home.

More tears from Ann, who was embraced by Curtis.

Also on hand, developer Jerry Wallace, owner of the Jerry Wallace Companies, which will help in the rebuilding project.

But there was more.

Biloxi Mayor A.J. Holloway was seen on a monitor from the Woolmarket Fire Station, where Curtis works. Also in the shot: eight of Curtis' fellow firemen.

Holloway displayed a building permit for the Lopez family, one of the first to be issued in Biloxi since the storm.

Lopez's colleagues and Curtis were told they're getting a special garage tour at the 48th running of the Daytona 500 in February, courtesy of NASCAR and the International Speedway Corporation.

Other contributors to the realization of the wish include Georgia Pacific, which is providing plywood and mold resistant drywall for your new house. The company recommends the use of mold resistant drywall in hurricane-prone areas.

The Lopez family will also be receiving a bundle of furnishings and appliances from Sam's Club Warehouse Clubs and travel and lodging for the Daytona 500 from Orbitz.com.

Another contributor: Select Blinds.com.