Couple extends charity raffle for house

It's not too late for a chance to own your own home.

A couple raffling off their house has extended the date of the drawing for another six months.

Stephanie and Michael Loyal recently renovated the Louisville home that belonged to Mrs. Loyal's grandparents. But their plans to live in the home with their 20-month-old son, Dalton, changed in February when a drunk driver traveling the wrong way on Interstate 20 hit the Loyals head-on.

Faced with debilitating injuries and more than $1 million in medical bills, the Loyals decided to raffle the home.

//

Initially, the drawing had been set for Dec. 14, but they have pushed the deadline back until June, or until enough tickets are sold.

"We are going to keep selling the tickets until we sell enough. We were going for 700, and we had 300," Mrs. Loyal said.

The accident damaged Mrs. Loyal's intestines, broke her back and severed the main artery feeding her lower body. The accident also crushed one of Mr. Loyal's heels and fractured both lower bones of one of his legs.

More than two months in the hospital and 16 surgeries left Mrs. Loyal unable to care for herself and Dalton. The couple moved back to Grovetown to live with Mrs. Loyal's parents, Walter "J.W." and Barbara Bowles.

"The worst part is I can't pick up my son and take care of him, which is hard when he is really tired and wants me," Mrs. Loyal said. "I am not able to do as much with him as most people do with their kids."

Several fund-raisers and blood drives have been held for the Loyals. Volunteers also enclosed the Bowles' garage so they could live there.

With several surgeries left to go, Mrs. Loyal says it could be up to two years before she is able to care for herself and Dalton. The next surgery to repair her gall bladder is scheduled in March.

The Loyals hope to raise at least $70,000 from the raffle, enough to pay off the home where Mrs. Loyal's grandparents lived for 56 years.

To obtain a raffle ticket or view the home, go to www.stephanieloyal.com or call 860-5660 or 832-4892.

Raffle details

Located at 5774 Georgia Highway 24 in Louisville, the 1,872-square-foot home, appraised at $84,000, sits on 1.6 acres.

It was remodeled in 2002 with a new roof, paint, carpet, tile and appliances.

It has three bedrooms, 1 1/2 bathrooms, an eat-in kitchen, a sunroom, a family room, a Florida room and a laundry room. The two working fireplaces have new gas logs, and the property includes a three-car garage and a large storage building.

A raffle ticket costs $100.