Shay Mooney of the band Dan + Shay recently surprised his sister with a complete home renovation as a wedding gift after she went through a near-death experience. The renovation was chronicled on HGTV’s Fixer to Fabulous.
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Mooney’s sister, Gabrielle Mooney—who is also a musician—underwent emergency brain surgery last February after traveling home to Arkansas. She found herself nauseous with a splitting headache. According to Gabrielle, she had a cyst on her brain and was diagnosed with Hydrocephalus. This is a condition where excess cerebrospinal fluid builds up in the cavities and ventricles of the brain.
Gabrielle explained the surgery and her recovery in a video on social media last summer. She revealed that she also experienced partial facial paralysis and drooping in her smile since the surgery, but shared her gratitude that the condition didn’t kill her.
Following her recovery, Gabrielle married Graylan Stone that November in Arkansas. However, before they married, Gabrielle’s brother Shay wanted to give them the ultimate wedding present—a new home and a beautiful wedding venue. He reached out to Dave and Jenny Marrs from Fixer to Fabulous and began the process of transforming their grandmother’s Arkansas farm house.
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Shay Mooney Renovates His Grandmother’s Arkansas Home for His Sister’s Wedding Venue
“When Shay asked us if we’d want to be a part of restoring his great-grandmother’s home for his sister to live in, we were immediately on board,” Jenny Marrs wrote on Instagram at the time. “Gabby had miraculously recovered from a traumatic health scare [emergency brain surgery] and was about to get married on the property. So many good things had come together for this one.”
The Fixer to Fabulous episode aired in two parts on HGTV on February 13, 2024. “This is just one way for all of us to come around my sister and jumpstart her dreams,” said Mooney, per a report from Country Now. “It’s really, really special.”
The property included an old farmhouse and a barn. The Marrs’ updated the house and renovated the barn into an addition for Gabrielle to find personal space. They also added a patio and fixed up the yard so that Gabrielle and Graylan could host their wedding there.
Shay Mooney came up with the idea initially, but his and Gabrielle’s father, Rick Mooney, was also instrumental in the renovations. He employed his own construction company to work on the house for his daughter.
Featured Image by Jason Kempin/Getty Images
