WASHINGTON, N.C. (WNCT) — For the Hardison family, Country Living Guest Home Inc.’s recent purchase of Wooded Acres Guest Home Inc. in Washington is much more than just an acquisition.

It also fulfills a dream for Tim Hardison, who co-owns Country Living alongside his wife, Angie.

Decades ago, Tim Hardison worked as a traumatic brain injury nurse at what was then known as Pitt County Memorial Hospital.

“He noticed that a lot of people with traumatic brain injury didn’t have anywhere to go after they left the hospital, because they couldn’t live independently,” said his daughter, Kellie Hardison, administrator and social worker with Country Living. “So he started the first group home for individuals with traumatic brain injury. It expanded from there, kind of morphed into more developmental disability, mental health.

Tim started Country Living in 1996. Twenty-two years later, his life changed forever.

In 2018, a car accident at Douglas Crossroads in Washington left him with a traumatic brain injury. To this day he is wheelchair-bound and unable to speak.

“Life has just kind of come full circle for him,” Kellie Hardison said.

Despite the injury, Tim was recently able to fulfill his dream of buying Wooded Acres and the 137 acres of Hardison family farm that came with it. The purchase became official on the morning of Oct. 27.

“This 137 acres was his family’s farm,” Kellie said, standing at the Wooden Acres property, which is located on Cherry Road and accessible by way of Della’s Drive.

“It’s Della’s Drive, that’s his grandmother. That’s his grandmother’s house,” Kellie said, looking across the property. His mom’s house is over there across the lane.”

With its recent acquisition, Country Living Guest Home Inc. now includes 12 homes, including 72 beds in total.

“I was 5 years old when my dad opened his first group home,” Kellie said. “It was for individuals with traumatic brain injury. And it expanded from there, now to 12 (homes). So I’ve grown up around it.

“I came back home in 2014. He taught me how to run the company. I knew that it was a dream of his to purchase this property. And I’m thankful that we were able to do that.”