Dan + Shay’s Shay Mooney Surprises Sister Gabrielle With Dream Home Renovation After Near-Death Scare
The renovation was documented on HGTV’s ‘Fixer to Fabulous.’
Shay Mooney of Dan + Shay, Dave Marrs, Jenny Marrs, Gabrielle Mooney, Gabrielle’s husband Graylan Stone and her father Rick Mooney of Rick Mooney Construction; Photo by Rivr Media
Shay Mooney of Dan + Shay pulled off an incredibly heartfelt wedding gift for his sister and fellow musician Gabrielle (Gabby) Mooney Stone and her husband Graylan Stone, following the near-death experience that led to her having to undergo emergency surgery on her brain last year.
Who Is Gabby On Fixer To Fabulous?
After seeing his sister go through such a traumatic event, the country star made it his mission to find Gabby and Graylan a home that would provide her a place of comfort amid her recovery process and double as the perfect wedding venue. So he reached out to his friends and hosts of the HGTV show, Fixer to Fabulous, Dave and Jenny Marrs, to transform his grandmother’s Arkansas farmhouse and barn into the home of her dreams.
“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 wrote on Instagram. “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.”
“This is just one way for all of us to come around my sister and jumpstart her dreams,” Shay added. “It’s really, really special.”
Aired On HGTV As A Two-Episode Series
The show was taped late last year and aired on HGTV as a two-episode series that premiered on Tuesday, February 13. Throughout the episodes, viewers got to see the fixer-upper experts work on building out the list of wants for the couple’s new home, which included a “designated escape for Gabby to continue her recovery process and a special spot for Gabby and Graylan to tie the knot in front of their friends and family.”
“We’ve worked on a lot of tight deadlines, but we’ve never ever had a wedding as our deadline,” said Jenny during the first episode.
In addition to renovating the main farmhouse, the team also decided to convert a barn on the property into a serene place that would act as Gabrielle’s sanctuary. The existing structure now holds a full kitchen, living room, workout room, sauna, loft and studio space for Gabrielle to continue her music career.
“Oh my gosh, are you freaking kidding me right now?” Gabby said during the long-awaited reveal of the former barn.
Personal Touches Added For Gabby
Jenny and Dave also made sure to include plenty of personal touches throughout the space, such as a table for the dining area that contains lyrics from Gabby’s first song engraved on top. He also crafted a beautiful wooden rack for her to display her guitars on. The final piece of the puzzle was to install a large patio with panoramic views of the property, making it the perfect spot for Gabby and Graylan to host their wedding ceremony.
Upon seeing her joyful reaction to the new space, Jenny shared, “There’s a light now at the end of the tunnel from this really hard season that she’s walked through, and this space is the start of that next season for her.”
While it was Shay’s idea to present his sister with this special home makeover, his father, Rick Mooney, also played a major role in the gift to Gabby Mooney as his construction company is mostly responsible for bringing Dave and Jenny’s vision to life.
“I’m beyond excited and grateful to be on this show. I truly have the best family ever!” Gabrielle exclaimed.
Stream the entire two-part special in Season 5, episodes 12 and 13 on Max.
What Happened To Gabby Mooney?
The show was taped late last year after Gabrielle’s health crisis that occurred when she was back home in Arkansas to celebrate Valentine’s Day. In a video shared to Instagram over the summer, she explained she had gotten a “horrible headache” that led to her mom finding her throwing up in the bathroom.
While she was unable to recall any of the traumatic events that unfolded that evening, Gabrielle later learned that her family was unable to get an ambulance due to severe weather. Instead, they called a “private ambulance company” that brought her to the emergency room where they received the scary news.
“They get me to Fort Smith, the neighboring hospital and I don’t remember this, but I died,” The “Come On In” singer told her followers. ”If it wasn’t storming they would’ve taken me to Little Rock and they did not have the equipment to intubate me onboard. So, God was with me on that.”
As a result of her visit to the hospital, she learned that she had a very large cyst on her brain and was diagnosed with Hydrocephalus. According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, “Hydrocephalus is a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) builds up within the fluid-containing cavities or ventricles of the brain.”
“They nicknamed me ‘grabby’ at Little Rock because I was ripping out my IVs and blaming it on Erica. The doctor said he put me in a case study because it was one of the biggest cysts he’s ever seen and the hydrocephalus and everything should’ve killed me and it did not,” Gabrielle continued.
Since undergoing brain surgery, she has made great strides in her health journey. However, along the way, Gabrielle also experienced facial paralysis, which has impacted her smile, her vocals and her self-confidence.
”Still insecure about my smile because my face has not been the same ever since and I’ve had to do a lot of therapy for it,” she added.
When Did Gabby Mooney Get Married?
Luckily through it all she has had the support of her family and her other half, Graylan whom she married on their family farm in Arkansas on Nov. 4.
“When I woke up, the first thing I remember is Shay was at the base of my bed, and he’s rubbing my foot and he goes, ‘Hey, Sissy.’ And I knew it was bad from that moment. Little brothers are not that sweet,” Gabrielle told PEOPLE.
She continued, “After that, Graylan and I were like, ‘OK, if we can make it through something like this, I want to be with you forever.’ This was a big test for our relationship.”
On the one-year anniversary of her emergency situation, Gabrielle took to social media to let fans know that she is still “workin hard” on healing her face and her vocals, but is looking forward to sharing her next single, “Feminine.”
This new song will mark yet another look into her forthcoming debut album, Moonsong, following the first release from the project, “As The Black Crow Flies.”
Madeleine O’Connell graduated from North Central College with a bachelors degree in Journalism and Broadcast Communications before deciding to pursue her studies further at DePaul University. There, she earned her masters degree in Digital Communication & Media Arts. O’Connell served as a freelance writer for over two years while also interning with the Academy of Country Music, SiriusXM and Circle Media and assisting with Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly podcast. In addition to Country Now, she has been published in American Songwriter, Music Mayhem, and Holler.Country. Madeleine O’Connell is a member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
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