McCamy Construction Helps Break Ground on Art Studio for Navy Veteran
Monday, October 31st, 2016
Jessica Callihan’s life changed when she fell from a helicopter during a Navy training exercise. The accident resulted in a twisted ankle and a broken knee and shoulder. However, despite the career-ending incident, Callihan’s spirit was not quenched and a love for art was born.
“My future is this. It’s letting people know the world, and see the beauty in it and stop for a moment and just appreciate what the world’s given to us.” – Jessica Callihan
Even after 10 surgeries, Callihan still suffers intense knee pain that limits her ability to get around and navigating stairs is almost impossible, she says:
“So right now my studio is in the basement and I have 17 stairs that I have to figure out how to get down and I can’t always get back up them. I’ve ended up having to have my husband carry me up before because I just haven’t been able to physically,” she said. “A lot of stuff is everywhere. My nickname is ‘Messy Jessie’ so you can imagine the mess that’s down there I just don’t have room to store anything and it’s really dangerous for me, if I bumped my knee, I’m done for the day.” (Source)Through Rebuilding Together Knoxville, McCamy Construction in conjunction with other local contractors and volunteers from Scripps Networks are building her an accessible art studio where she can practice her passion without pain. As a board member for Rebuilding Together Knoxville, I was present on build day and one of the group leaders. My team set windows, installed siding and exterior trim. We worked alongside several other groups to put up insulation and siding, install a wheelchair ramp, art benches, work tables, flat file storage, and paint.The first day of the build was a success and we got a lot done. However, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done before the art studio is finished. Check back in the next couple weeks for an update on the completed project!Read Rebuilding for Payton to see how McCamy Construction made playing outside a little less challenging for a sweet little girl with Cerebral Palsy.
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Jessica Callihan’s life changed when she fell from a helicopter during a Navy training exercise. The accident resulted in a twisted ankle and a broken knee and shoulder. However, despite the career-ending incident, Callihan’s spirit was not quenched and a love for art was born.
Even after 10 surgeries, Callihan still suffers intense knee pain that limits her ability to get around and navigating stairs is almost impossible, she says:
“So right now my studio is in the basement and I have 17 stairs that I have to figure out how to get down and I can’t always get back up them. I’ve ended up having to have my husband carry me up before because I just haven’t been able to physically,” she said. “A lot of stuff is everywhere. My nickname is ‘Messy Jessie’ so you can imagine the mess that’s down there I just don’t have room to store anything and it’s really dangerous for me, if I bumped my knee, I’m done for the day.” (Source)
Through Rebuilding Together Knoxville, McCamy Construction in conjunction with other local contractors and volunteers from Scripps Networks are building her an accessible art studio where she can practice her passion without pain.
As a board member for Rebuilding Together Knoxville, I was present on build day and one of the group leaders. My team set windows, installed siding and exterior trim. We worked alongside several other groups to put up insulation and siding, install a wheelchair ramp, art benches, work tables, flat file storage, and paint.
The first day of the build was a success and we got a lot done. However, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done before the art studio is finished. Check back in the next couple weeks for an update on the completed project!
Read Rebuilding for Payton to see how McCamy Construction made playing outside a little less challenging for a sweet little girl with Cerebral Palsy.
