Divya and Terry McArthur’s Lumberton, North Carolina, home was hit by not one but two hurricanes. The home, which was passed down to Divya by her grandmother, was rocked by both Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Florence in 2018.
On Nov. 27, the couple attended a taping of “The Tonight Show” and got the surprise of a lifetime when host Jimmy Fallon gave them the news that their beloved home was being renovated for free by The Home Depot Foundation and Operation Blessing, a humanitarian organization that provides disaster relief around the world.
The hurricanes damaged the McArthurs’ roof, wall and floors, and they lost their furniture and appliances in the storms. The Home Depot Foundation and Operation Blessing will replace their roof, repaint the house and provide a new furnace and appliances. The McAruthurs will also receive new furniture, and their backyard is getting a makeover as well.
The couple was absolutely stunned and overwhelmed with gratitude when Fallon delivered the good news. Watch the sweet moment unfold in the clip from the show below:
When Fallon asks Divya why the house is so special to her, she tearfully replied, “Because my grandmother left it to me.”
The couple was stunned into silence as Fallon delivered the news, but Divya had no trouble expressing her gratitude later. “I heard him, but I didn’t really grasp it because I was really in shock,” Divya told People of the moment Fallon told her of the surprise gift. “You see things like this on TV, but you never expect for it to happen to you. It feels like a dream. Our lives will never be the same.”
The McArthurs told People they were determined to retain a sense of normalcy for their 12-year-old son, Christian, in the wake of the devastating storms that came just 22 months apart. They also felt a responsibility to hold onto the home that Divya grew up in and holds so many memories and so much sentimental value for the family.
People reported that Divya owns a salon in Lumberton, and Terry works as a corrections officer. They didn’t have flood insurance.
“We’re helping make the repairs to not only make the house again, but make it a home for the McArthurs,” Shannon Gerber, executive director of The Home Depot Foundation, told People.