Out of one tragedy can come a new beginning.
On April 6, 2008, a fire destroyed 419 Lieber St. Inside, 67-year-old Ruth Pearson protected her 8-month-old great-granddaughter, Mericia Mcguire, from the flames. Pearson did not survive the fire, but her sacrifice saved Mericia.
The family members of the fire victims donated the empty lot to Habitat for Humanity. Many Henderson Fire Department firefighters remember that Lieber Street fire and knew they wanted to help another family build a new life.
"It was a happy coincidence," said Jesse Martin, president of Henderson Professional Fire Fighters Local Union. "I was involved in Habitat and when I became president of the union, I wanted us to get more involved in giving back to the community. This just happened to be one of the houses they had on their list. It seems right for the fire department to help build this house back."
Firefighters have worked on the house with Habitat volunteers for two weeks. The house will be going to Melissa Cook and her 4-year-old son, Cutler Tramill. Currently Cook rents a house from her son's grandmother, which she and her son share with two other adults and a child.
"When we show up, people are having one of the worst days of their lives," said Martin. "We wanted to be a part of something as joyous as a mother being able to move into her first home. We wanted to help make it one of the best days of someone's life."
A clinical assistant with Tri-State Orthopaedic, Cook is eager to move into her new home, which Habitat expects to be ready by April.
"Not having a house of our own, we've had to go from family houses to apartments to duplexes since he was born," said Cook of her son. "For this house to finally be mine and my son's, we can finally grow up. It takes a lot of responsibility to be a parent and it'll be great to have a place of our own. I can provide more for him by being able to stay in one place instead of moving around all the time."
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©2017 The Gleaner (Henderson, Ky.)
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