ASHEVILLE, N.C. — It was a story that got national attention in the days after Hurricane Helene. A dog helped save his young owner after a mudslide buried the boy under 12 feet of rubble.
The family is still recovering but grateful for the outpouring of support. That means they should be in their new home by Christmas.
The bond between Jamie Parker and his dog Tucker is as strong as ever.
“He’s an amazing, amazing dog, that’s my dog, Tuckie,” Jamie said. “He saved me!”
Tucker is the family’s rescue pup who literally rescued Jamie.
“I probably would have died if not for Tucker,” he said.
WCNC Charlotte first met the Asheville-area family last fall when Jamie was in the hospital being treated for his injuries
Jamie’s grandparents and his sister Gemma were all home when a mudslide from Helene shredded their house, burying Jamie in 12 feet of rubble.
“It felt like forever down there,” Jamie recalled. “I couldn’t see sunlight. I felt water dripping on me. I thought I was gonna drown or run out of air.”
But Tucker saved the day, standing over the pile of rubble, telling rescuers exactly where to find Jamie.
He is fully recovered physically but struggles with memories from the storm.
“Loud noises, specifically, cause it shakes the house; it’s bad,” Jamie said.
The family is in a temporary home in Brevard, a few miles from the home they lost. Habitat for Humanity helped them find it and gave them a break on their rent.
Jamie’s grandfather, Michael Johns, said the family lost everything but the clothes on their backs.
Jamie struggles when they drive past their old home.
“I close my eyes,” he said. “It’s scary and all my stuff is destroyed.”
But it’s all still there, untouched a year later. They said the Army Corps of Engineers was supposed to do the cleanup, but never came.
“We’ve been trying to get help, but I guess the government shut down funding of programs,” Johns explained.
They are getting help, though, from so many others. At the time of the storm, they had just two payments left on their mortgage. An anonymous donor paid for that.
Transylvania County Habitat for Humanity is building them a new home just down the road from their old one.
“Because we did the interview then, there were donations that went to Transylvania Habitat for Humanity from those,” Donna Johns, Jamie’s grandmother, said.
Habitat spokeswoman Jenni Kerr said the response was “overwhelming and wonderful,” with staff busy answering calls, emails and processing donations. She noted that most contributions were small, $5 or $20, but meaningful.
“It was just what somebody had the heart to give,” Kerr said.
It’s almost enough to pay for the new house.
WCNC Charlotte asked Jamie what he thought of all the people in the community who wanted to help, to which he said, “They’re amazing!”