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Cancer survivor surprised with repaired home after tornado destroyed it

In May, a tornado barreled through Eden and destroyed 72-ear-old Kay Price’s home. A tree her father planted in the 1950s toppled onto her house.

May 2017 (Photo: WFMY News 2)

EDEN, N.C. – Kay Price is 72-years-old. She’s been living in the same house in Eden all her life, up until about four months ago.

In the beginning of May, a tornado barreled through Eden. It destroyed Price’s home; a tree her father planted in the 1950s toppled onto her house. She was forced out of the only home she’s ever known and went to go stay with her sister on the other side of town.

But what she didn’t know is that all this time, community members were coming together to rebuild her longtime house. Her niece Ronda Chatman says donations bought the supplies and donated time put everything back together.

“It’s been four long, agonizing months, but it’s finally here and she can finally come home,” Chatman says.
On Friday, Price’s family surprised her with a ‘Welcome Home’ surprise party. “She was just in shock when they told her she had to leave to start with,” Chatman explains. “That’s all she’s ever wanted was for her and her little dog to come back home.”

Price is no stranger to overcoming adversity.

“I had breast cancer for nine months, so then I took chemo and radiation. And since January, I'm cancer free,” she told 12 News' sister station WFMY News 2 in May, right after it happened. “[The house], I feel like it's something, it can be fixed, I'm just so grateful nobody was hurt in this tornado.”

All her faith and optimism has paid off; she’s back in her home once again.

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