Extreme Makeover: Home Edition - Episode Guide

The original plan called for renovating the home, but the "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" team found that the house was beyond renovation. It was on the verge of being red-tagged because of, among other things, lack of heat, a leaky bathtub, broken windows and an old carpet so full of dust that it would give the kids frequent allergies. When the EMHE team realized this, it was decided to completely tear down the house and rebuild it from scratch! The nearly-impossible feat of building a new house from the foundation up in just seven days is revealed.

When a young girl was diagnosed with sun poisoning, it completely changed her life and that of her family. She is unable to go outside without first completely covering her body with a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, hat and gloves. Since the sun can also penetrate her clothing, she must apply full body sunscreen every two hours. With the combined effort from the team of designers, contractors, hundreds of workers and state-of-the-art technology, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" created a new living space that will enhance the quality of her life while making her living conditions much less restrictive.

After their infant daughter received a heart transplant to save her from the same condition that their son died of as a newborn, Cathy and Bill Grinnan made a promise that they would do whatever they could to educate others about heart disease. Despite their personal tragedies, the Grinnan family became crusaders for heart disease research and treatment. Now it's time for someone to give back to them.

For the past 25 years, Consuela Mackey has tirelessly helped those living with disabilities by providing them with job training, individualized training in personal care and education on workplace etiquette. Since she has devoted most of her life to helping others, it was long overdue for something extremely nice to be done for her. When the team from "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" came to Consuela's house in Granada Hills, California, they were able to give something back to an individual who has sacrificed so much for her community.

In this episode, a Jamaica Queens, New York family finally get their dream house -- two years after a contractor left them without a roof over their heads. With a house rendered unfit for habitation, Lucy Ali and her 12-year-old adopted sons, Paul and Kuran, had been living as urban refugees, hop-scotching from hotel to hotel, to relatives' couches and to a homeless shelter. "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" brings the Ali house back to life when the design team and over 150 workers rebuild it.

During the "reveal" of the two-hour installment, actress Marlee Matlin and William "Bill" Austin, founder and head of the Starkey Hearing Foundation -- who travels all over the world fixing "broken ears" and is known as the "Santa Claus" of hearing -- presented Stefan with a $50,000 college scholarship check from the foundation. Later on, Marlee and Bill sat with Stefan's deaf mother, Judy Vardon, while she got her hearing tested for the first time in 20 years. Amazingly, Judy found she had residual hearing and was a candidate for a hearing aid.

Eventually, Child Protective Services was called and Benjamin was separated for three months from his parents, who were accused of child abuse. Nothing could have been further from the truth, and loving parents Gerald and Ellen Burns spent every resource they had trying to get their son back and prove their innocence. When it was finally diagnosed that Benjamin suffers from Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a genetic disorder characterized by bones that break easily, the Burns were cleared of the abuse charges and allowed to bring their son home.

A courageous mother has helped three of her adopted children and many others face AIDS with hope, teaching them that life is here for the living. Her recent bout with cancer has only enforced that belief. The Broadbent family from North Las Vegas will get back some of the love and happiness that they have provided to so many others over the years through their tireless work providing HIV/AIDS awareness.

As a struggling widow of three daughters, Roseanne Dore is no stranger to hardship. The family was dealt a tremendous blow when their Kingston, Washington home, originally built by Roseanne and her husband, burned to the ground in March 2004. Following the devastating news of the fire, Roseanne found out that their home insurance policy lapsed when their agent retired. The structure was uninhabitable. While figuring out what to do, Roseanne moved her three daughters into a half-built, backyard utility shed that had no plumbing, electricity or running water.

For the first time in the history of the popular reality series, design team leader Ty Pennington had to call the vacationing Anderson Family to tell them that the show had missed their deadline to complete the makeover on their home in South Central Los Angeles. After successfully racing to beat the clock to completely build a designer's dream house in a mere seven days for dozens of other deserving families, the unbelievable but inevitable drama has occurred on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" - the design team, contractors and workers were unable to finish a house on time.

While design team leader Ty Pennington was preparing to film this episode in his hometown of Atlanta, he underwent surgery for a perforated appendix. Although he was still recuperating, the energetic and dedicated Pennington did not want to let the family down. The episode incorporated his predicament into the show and captured how Ty was able to do his part from his hospital bed and, later in the week, to participate in the reveal for the Harper Family from the Atlanta suburb of Lake City, Georgia -- a family that had worked hard and sacrificed for all the right reasons, but still could not achieve their dream of providing a real home for their children. The design team was able to turn the Harpers' living nightmare of a house into a dream home come true.

When the "extreme" nine-member Harris family from Birmingham, Alabama received the remarkable news that their house would get an "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," Chris and Diamond Harris were thankful that some of the exhaustion that stems from taking care of their toddler sextuplets and nine-year-old son DeWayne would finally be relieved.

More than one dream of an eight-year-old girl with cancer has come true.

"Leomiti-Higgins Family" -- A caring and generous family from Santa Fe Springs, California, who took five orphans into their small house, are featured in an episode of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."

Robin and Doug Leslie were living an idyllic life with their four young boys and had moved into their dream home, a fixer-upper on eight-and-a-half acres on the banks of the Mississippi. The loving couple had been thrilled when they found the 130-year-old former plantation cottage with its two bedrooms and 1900-sq. feet. Despite being renovated in the 1970s, the historic house had taken a turn for the worse and looked dated with its shag carpeting and wood paneling. Nevertheless, they were excited to invest their time and care into a home that they could look forward to improving over the years. Doug, determined to restore it and bring it back to its original state of grace, was going to make this a home the family could be proud.

When Willie Harvey was diagnosed with epilepsy, his work as a mechanic and heavy equipment operator -- as well as the repairs he'd been making to the family's 1930s Army barracks home -- came to an abrupt halt. Employers wouldn't hire him for fear of possible seizures, and as a result Willie was forced into unemployment. His wife, Alecia, was working two full-time jobs and putting herself through nursing school to better provide for the family of six. Still, they were barely able to make ends meet. Meanwhile, their home was falling down on them! Built in the 1930s as part of an Army barracks, the Harveys' two-bedroom house was also home to several thousand troops of termites.

In November 2004, James Dolan of St. Petersburg, Florida made news because the unthinkable happened -- a deranged man with a gun walked into the electronics store where he worked and opened fire. In fifteen seconds that would forever change the lives of the Dolan family, three people died, including the gunman, who had shot James in the head. Miraculously James survived, but without his eyesight. Now James is in the news again, but for a much happier reason. The design team will replace the Dolans' 1960s-era ranch house with a brand new home that's more navigation-friendly for him.

Kansas City firefighter Stephen Johnson is a man who is used to rescuing others and a hero to so many, including to his own five children. The design team will renovate his home in a mere seven days, a fitting gesture to this man who, in addition to his dangerous duties as a firefighter, also works as a barber and a window washer in order to support his family.

A small two-bedroom house on Long Island, New York is transformed into a magnificent 2400-square-foot home for a young widower with three toddler sons. The return of this father and his children to the house fulfils the dying wish of a wife and mother who said that she wanted her husband and boys to come back to their house so she would "always know where to find them.".

In addition to the building of the new home in Flagstaff, the design team, workers and volunteers from "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" will also be building simultaneously a Veteran's Memorial Center on the Navajo Reservation in Tuba City, on land belonging to the Navajo Nation. The building will be the first of its kind and is for Native Americans who served in the armed services. Dozens of Navajo and Hopi military veterans attended the center's dedication festivities. Lori was the daughter of a Vietnam veteran and the granddaughter of a World War II veteran.

A single mother who lived through a parent's worst nightmare when her oldest daughter was abducted is the latest recipient to be astonished by the door knock of the "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" design team and contractors.

A brave Iraq War soldier and medic -- a man who has endured much tragedy in the past -- and his family are the latest recipients of an "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."

Billy Jack and Anne Barrett and their extended family of adopted children in Peyton, CO, are the latest to receive an "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."

Gordon's continued battle with cancer - there's still a tumor growing near his liver - has led him to the mantra he's passed on to everyone he meets: Do it now. There may be no tomorrow. He himself only has a 50/50 chance of survival and doesn't know what the future will bring, but he's determined to live out his days giving back to others. Those whose lives he has touched are determined to fix his house so he doesn't have to worry about his family, should he lose his life.

Ty and the gang go back to camp to help Paul and Cyndy Teas, who have given all they have to the camp they founded for disabled children -- and neglected their own home as a result -- .

Ty and the gang will help turn the hazardous home of Veronica Ginyard and her eight children in Capitol Heights, Maryland into home sweet home, on Extreme Makeover:

Susan Tom, a single parent of seven adopted children with disabilities from Fairfield, CA, didn't set out to adopt children with special needs, but somehow they found each other. After her divorce, Susan, a mother of four at the time (two biological, two adopted), became a foster parent and soon fell in love with the children no one else wanted.

When he reached his first trap and started pulling up his catch, a huge wave hit the boat, creating a slack in the rope which then spooled around the drum. A veteran fisherman, Doug knew to turn off the drum's motor and untangle the rope, but as he reached in to turn it off, the sleeve of his oilskin got caught in the winch. Within seconds the winch had taken hold of his hand and his arm, breaking every bone as it consumed him. The only way for Doug to free himself from the deadly grip was to cut off his own arm. Thinking about his wife, Rebecca, and his two daughters, Amanda and Tabitha, and about needing to survive for them, Doug grabbed the twine knife he kept near the hauler and began to saw off his right arm.

Ty and the gang team up with the Boston Red Sox to help build a new and renovated home for Tripp and Heidi Johnson of Medfield, MA, the dedicated parents of Will - a five-year-old with Spinal Muscular Atrophy -- and his family.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and the entire community of El Segundo, CA will come together to rebuild the home of police officer Bruce Lewis, his cancer stricken wife, Paulita, and their children.

Ty and the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition gang transform the lives of Jeff Novak, a recently widowed Special Education teacher and his three young daughters, Zoey, Harley and Presley of Boardman Township, Ohio, when they rebuild and renovate their damaged house into a beautiful, spacious home in just seven remarkable days.

Kevin and Cathy Nutsch and their five daughters from Douglas, Kansas, who lost everything that was near and dear to them when their house literally exploded, will receive a brand new renovated home thanks to the team of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Thanks to their tenacious eleven-year-old daughter, Jael, the Kirkwood family from Port Orchard, WA will receive a new home designed by Ty and the gang of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

When Eric Hebert of Sandpoint, ID got the unexpected call a year ago that his sister had died, leaving her twin children orphaned, he stepped up to the plate in a big way by becoming instant father to his niece and nephew. Now it's Ty and the gang's turn to step up to the plate in their extreme way by turning a rundown house into a home that will preserve the meaning of family and help rebuild lives on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Animal lovers Dale and Melanie DeAeth of Washington, Texas, who started the True Blue Animal Rescue organization, and their three children, Jessica, Cory and Colton, will have their own home rescued by Ty and the gang on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition team.

Once a renowned dancer with the Dance Theatre of Harlem, Carol Crawford-Smith had to abandon her passion for performing when she was stricken with multiple sclerosis. She can barely navigate her home and dance studio now, but that will all change when Ty and the gang revamp and create a new home that will help her continue to live a life of dance.

John and Monica Kubena and their seven-year-old identical twin daughters, Tara and Sara, who both suffer from leukemia and currently live in a trailer, will move into a brand new, spacious home that will be built in a remarkable seven days.

Members of the church and community have rallied around this family, holding several fundraising events to help the Whites find a place to live. From these efforts, Danna was able to purchase two run-down trailers. The pastor's life insurance also gave her enough money to buy some land. The problem is that one trailer is actually an old modular office that needs to be converted into a home. To make matters worse, the trailers don't have any heat, a working kitchen, any locks on the door or carpet, and the doublewide doesn't have any power. It's been so cold at night that the kids have to sleep at friends' houses just to stay warm. On top of all this, the Whites can't even move the trailers to their new property.

For years Sadie Holmes battled addiction, but she eventually won that battle and turned her life around. Sadie's community, having witnessed this, reached out to her and began to donate food, clothing and furniture, which allowed her to make a brand new start. Soon the donations became more than Sadie and her family needed, however, so she started donating them to others in need. These actions led to the creation of the first non-profit in their community, Sadie Holmes Help Services, Inc. Although the organization was initially run out of the Holmes' house, in 2003 Sadie and her children made the decision to move into a rented apartment so they could have more room for the rapidly increasing donations.

On March 5, Todd Craft of Hondo, Texas, a high school sports coach who's been a constant inspiration in his community and his family, will receive the news that he will receive a beautiful and renovated home in a remarkable seven days thanks to Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. In addition, while team captain Ty Pennington is busy helping families in the Gulf States with hurricane relief, his friend, Kermit the Frog, has his back.

Michelle and Brian Hassall of Berry, KY, two deserving community leaders who've faced adversity in the past few years, have gotten the remarkable news that they will receive a beautiful and renovated home in seven days courtesy of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Having raised four girls of their own and put each through college, 60-year-old Grandpop William Py and his 57-year-old wife, Grandma Carole, were looking forward to retirement. But life had something else in store for them. In l997 Grandpop and Grandma, a couple who enjoyed spoiling their grandkids but who also liked the idea that they could send the children home to their own parents after fun visits, would have their lives shattered by the first of two tragedies that would befall this closely-knit family. In July of that year, their son-in-law, Jos� Rosario, 33, died unexpectedly of a brain aneurysm. Jos left behind his wife, Sharon Py Rosario, a breast cancer survivor, and three young children, William, Samantha and Jos, or Joey.

Winston Peter, a Hindu priest, and his family from Jamaica, NY, received the answer to their prayers when they were given the good news that they'll receive a renovated and beautiful new home in just seven days.

Jimmy Jimboy Arena changed an entire community forever. Diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor at five years of age, Jimboy stayed strong. He inspired hundreds of neighbors, community members, several fire departments, officials and his own family with his infectious smile and spirit. Everyone in town knew Jimboy and prayed for him. They held fundraisers, birthday parties and even a parade to welcome him home from the hospital. But on September 28, 2005, shortly after his sixth birthday, Jimboy died and the Arena Family lost their only son.

After a devastating house fire left Beverly Turner and her adopted children from Irvington, NJ homeless, Ty and the gang renovate their burned down home in just seven days -- and the biggest residential build yet!

The Extreme Makeover: Home Edition design team travels to Bergenfield, New Jersey to build a brand new renovated home in seven days for a deserving family of six who have overcome some difficult disabilities. In order to better meet the Llanes family's unique needs, Academy Award-winning actress Marlee Matlin will serve as Team Leader.

This season, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition will be traveling all across America to build homes for families in the 50 states. Near or far, east or west, there's no place EM:HE won't go to help a family in need. On their first stop they're heading all the way up to North Pole, Alaska! Betsy Rogers, a single mother who has spent her life caring for her 13-member family and others, will receive a new and renovated home in a remarkable seven days.

After a tornado devastated firefighter Jerrod Hawkins home and paralyzed his wife, Amy, their hometown of Hendersonville, TN collected over 50,000 names on a petition for help. Ty and the gang answered their call and will rebuild the Hawkins' lives and home in just seven days.

Bill and Michelle Bliven, who have a son with cerebral palsy and started a baseball league for children with special needs, will receive a brand new and renovated home.

Ty and the gang come to the aid of farmers Shawn and Amy Kibe of Tama County, IA, by rebuilding their burned down home in a remarkable seven days.

Ty and the gang will build a new home in a remarkable seven days to help make life easier for the Thibodeau family from Brookings County, SD.

The 135-year-old farmhouse of the Farina family from St. Meinrad, IN will have a much needed facelift in a remarkable seven days thanks to Ty and the gang of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Ty and the gang builds a new and renovated home for the Koepke (pronounced kep-key) family of Campbellsport, WI, who recently lost their loving father, Matthew, to cancer, on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Janet Pauni of Logan, UT, a hardworking mother of nine who has found the time not only to keep her family together, but to cook and deliver food to the needy, received the remarkable news that she and her family will receive a beautiful and renovated home in just seven days.

Kenny Machacek and Theresa Fullerton of Lincoln, NE will receive a new home large enough to hold their whole brood of seven courtesy of Ty and the gang.

The Noyola family of Chicago, IL, who have been living in their grandmother�s cramped attic, will be the next recipients of a home of their own built by Ty and the gang in a remarkable seven days.

Ty and the gang rebuild and make safe the home of the Riggins family of Raleigh, NC in a remarkable seven days.

Jason Thomas, a 9/11 hero and his family from Columbus, OH, will be honored with a new home built by Ty and the gang in a remarkable seven days.

The O'Donnell family of Austin, Texas will receive a new and renovated home in just seven days.

Ty and the gang of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition head to Tampa, Florida to rebuild the home of a family whose house was destroyed by a small plane crash.

Faith Tipton-Smith is a single mother raising two girls, 16-year-old Missy and 8-year-old Emily. After working at the same job for 25 years, Faith was finally able to purchase her first home in July of 2004. On February 4, 2005 the unthinkable happened when this new home that Faith and her family had worked so hard for burned to the ground. They lost everything, including countless cheerleading trophies, family pictures, clothes and even their dog, Sugar. This family lost everything they cherished and loved. But, most importantly, everybody in the family was safe. During this time, Faith's 16-year-old son, Ransom, was her biggest support, helping his sisters with school, keeping the family together and, as time allowed, playing his favorite sport -- golf.

Ty and the gang will help build a new home for the Wilson family of Longs, SC, who have been living in their grandmother's run-down trailer.

The Jones family of Brandon, MS, who have spent their lives giving to others, will now themselves receive a spectacular new home in just seven days.

Ty and the gang of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" will create a home that is accessible for the entire Westbrook family of Lawton, OK, who have suffered much hardship and two separate accidents that left both father and son paralyzed.

Ty and the gang surprises the Collins family from Murfreesboro, AR, with the good news that their deteriorating, single-story home will be renovated to meet the needs of their recently enlarged family in a remarkable seven days.

Ty and the gang will build a new home for Marynoel Kilgallon and her four children, of Levittown, PA, who've been living in the dining room of Marynoel's parents' home.

The Jacobo family of Kansas City, MO will receive a new home from Ty and the gang that will accommodate their nine children.

The Oatman-Gaitan family from Schenectady, NY, who have two adopted sons currently living with HIV, received the news from Ty and the gang that their home will be renovated in just seven days.

This season, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" continues its journey traveling all across America to build homes for families in the 50 states. Kicking off the new season, Ty and the gang travel to the beautiful island of Oahu and say aloha to the Akana family of Honolulu, HI, and renovate not only their home but the KOKA Family Learning Center, which they've run for over 11 years, in a remarkable seven days.

The Byers family of Corvallis, OR received the good news that Ty and the gang will build them a new home in just seven days.

The Brown family of Bridgeport, CT received the surprise news today that Ty and the gang will build them a new home in just seven days.

Julie is so consumed with helping others that she rarely thinks of her own living situation -- which is a refurbished chicken coup -- but the astronomical medical bills are a regular reminder that there's little chance their house will ever be fixed. From the outside their home looks like a long warehouse; the exterior walls are buckling and some of the windows are cracked, which makes it tough in the brutal Montana winter. They've made the best of the interior, but the cracks in the floor and the unusable space makes heating the place expensive. It's now up to the design team to get this family out of the chicken coop and into a healthy house, and to reward this selfless mother with a state of the art facility where she can run the Billings chapter of Chiari. While Ty and the designers, local builder Jeff Junkert Construction, Inc. and hundreds of volunteers and workers are rebuilding their home, the Carter family will go on vacation at the Hilton Times Square in New York City.

The Yazzie family of Pinon, AZ, who have been dealing with extremely poor living conditions on their Navajo reservation, have received the news that Ty and the gang of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" will rebuild their home with modern "green" utilities and provide a better way of life for their family.

The Miller family and their many pets of Cheyenne, Wyoming received the exciting news that Ty Pennington and the crew of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" will renovate and make safe their dangerous home in just seven days.

The Marrero family of Camden, NJ, who have been living without heat and insufficient electricity, received the news that Ty and the gang will build them a new home in a remarkable seven days.

The Swenson-Lee family of Minnetonka, MN, received the remarkable news that Ty and the gang will build them a home with adequate living space for their newly formed family of 10. Marking the show's 100th family to receive a new home.

Kayden, the healthiest Stockdale child, was born with Gastroschisis, in which the intestines are outside the body. He underwent two surgeries to repair the defect. In addition to EE, he also struggles daily with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Sensory Integration Disorder and Tourette's Syndrome. Jetty, now five, was diagnosed with EE after suffering through two years of pneumonia and various infections. Unable to eat food, he and his four-year-old sister, Baylee, are fed with the help of feeding tubes. Jetty is excited to begin kindergarten next year, but will likely need to be home-schooled due to the severity of his medical condition. Baylee's EE recently sent her to the emergency room to undergo a four-hour surgery after her feeding tube was changed incorrectly. She spent the next two weeks in ICU, fighting for her life. She still experiences infections that resulted from the surgery, and her disease continues to spread. The youngest Stockdale, two-year-old McKinnon, was born two months premature, weighing in at only three pounds. She was diagnosed with EE six months ago and doctors fear that the disease is spreading to her lungs, as it has with her brother, Jetty.

The Vitale family of Athens, VT received the good news that Ty and the gang of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" will be transforming their current home into a safe and handicapped-accessible house in just seven days.

The Chapin family of Kirkland, WA was happy to receive the good news that Ty and the designers of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" will be renovating and making safe their poorly constructed home and backyard pool in just seven days.

The Ray-Smith family of Milbridge, ME, received the exciting news that Ty Pennington and the crew will renovate and hopefully appease the ghosts in their haunted home, a family heirloom, in just seven days.

The Luther family of Port Deposit, Maryland was happy to receive the exciting news that Ty and the designers will be rebuilding the family's home and riding facility in just seven days.

The Voisine family from Manchester, NH has received the surprising news that Ty and the gang of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" will build them a new home in just seven days.

The Gilyeat family from Kansas City, KS has received the surprising news that Ty and the gang will build them a new, renovated home in just seven days.

The Hughes family of Louisville, KY has received the thrilling news that Ty and the gang will renovate their house and make it a safer and more accessible home for their blind and disabled son in a remarkable seven days.

The Lucas family of Cullen, VA were happy to receive the news that Ty and the designers will be building them a dream home in a remarkable seven days.

The Turner family of Fairmont, West Virginia learned the thrilling news that Ty and the designers of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" will be remodeling their home to create enough space for their blended family of seven to enjoy.

The Boettcher family of Silver Springs, Nevada learned of the thrilling news that Ty and the designers of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" will be building them a new home in a remarkable seven days.

The Gaudet family from Mobile, Alabama were overjoyed to hear the news that Ty and the gang will build them a new home in just seven days.

The Latif family of Wilmington, Delaware received the exciting news that Ty and the gang will build them and their next door neighbor, Rose Chatman, new homes in just seven days.

Gerald worked together with the community and quickly transformed an area once known as "the war zone" into a new and better place, now dubbed "God's block." As crime rates decreased and the community began getting media attention, Gerald purchased two other duplexes that would be used to create the "Mission Outpost," a place where broken people could recover from their troubles. With an open-door policy, the Outpost served many people, and the Martinez family seemed finally to be connecting with their neighbors. But as they did so, they also began to lose their own family privacy, and pretty soon they ran into financial difficulties as well, since they charged no rent. Though the family have made a great impact in transforming this community, they don't have enough space to live in themselves, and use hot plates for their cooking, as there's no stove. With dwindling privacy and resources, the Martinez family are in dire need of a new and safe home where they can continue their mission to save the town of Trumbull.

The Silva family from Warwick, RI, received the surprising news that Ty and the gang will build them a new and safer, lead free home in just seven days.

The Giunta family from Maynard, MA received the good news that Ty and the gang will reunite them and build them a new, renovated home in just seven days.

Ty Pennington and the show's designers are heading to the final stop on their 50-state tour to surprise the Usea family of Westwego, LA, and the Noah's Ark Missionary Baptist Church in New Orleans, with the news that they'll be rebuilding the Useas' homes as well as the church in just seven days.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" kicks off its groundbreaking sixth season in Rockville, Maryland by helping Felicia Jackson, a single mother who is struggling to keep all of her 10 nieces and nephews out of the foster care system, and by presenting her a brand new home in a remarkable seven days.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" travels to West Chester, Ohio to inform the Akers family that their bi-level home will be completely remodeled in only seven days. This renovation is necessary, for the home has become an obstacle to the family's comfort, safety and quality of life.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" will be visiting Richland Center, Wisconsin, to rescue the Anders-Beatty family from their crumbling home. The water damage, peeling roof and nesting critters lend to this home a dreadful appearance and have left it in dangerous disrepair. Ty and his designers will completely restore the home in only seven days, giving the Anders-Beatty family the quality of life they richly deserve.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" travels to Charlotte, North Carolina to fix the home of the King family which has been infected with a hazardous mold that's threatening their community as well as their children's health.

Ty and the designers of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" travel to Bigelow, AR to make the McCullys' mold infested and dilapidated home a safer and larger place to live in in only seven days.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" travels to Geneva, NY to renovate the Hill family's 200 year-old farm house in a remarkable seven days, enabling them to keep and improve their boxing gym for underprivileged teens.

Ty and the "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" designers will be visiting both St. Louis and Ballwin, Missouri to give Dawn Martirez a safer home for her special-needs children, and to remodel Sam Malek's coffee shop that employs disabled individuals and donates a portion of its earnings to charity.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" will be traveling to Toledo, Ohio, to save the Frisch family from their cramped and deteriorating home that cannot comfortably house their family of 13. Ty and his designers will completely restore their home in only seven days, giving Jackie and her family peace of mind and the comfort of a safe home.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" will be traveling to Holt, Michigan, to help the Nickless family rebuild their lives after the tragic loss of their husband, Tim Nickless, which left Arlene and her three sons to fend for themselves in an 1860s dilapidated home.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" will be traveling to Pittsburgh, PA to announce to the Slaughter Family that their water damaged and tornado battered home will be renovated in only seven days.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" will be traveling to Pekin, IL to provide the Grys family -- in just seven days -- a better and safer home for their youngest son who has brittle bone disease.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" will be traveling to Quincy Township, PA to announce to the Drumm family, who have helped transform the lives of disabled children through the Challenger Little League Program, that their home -- which has been used as a site to dump trash and waste -- will be rebuilt in only seven days.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" will be traveling to Fort Riley, Kansas to announce to the Tutwiler family, who have been living on a military base ever since their house in Chapman -- along with the town -- was devastated by an F4 tornado, that they will have a new home built in only seven days.

After the Girard family lost their home to a fire a year ago, they faced a double tragedy when husband Thomas and eldest son Marc both drowned in June, leaving Carol and her four children devastated. Now Ty and the designers will be traveling to Voluntown, Connecticut to tell the family that they'll have a new and renovated place to call home in only seven days.

Ty and the designers will be traveling to Keller, Texas to announce to the Augustin family, who lost their home and not-for-profit photography studio in a flood, that they will have a new home built in only seven days.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" will be traveling to Fresno, California to tell Mary Ann Riojas and her family that they'll have a new home in only seven days. Born without legs and only one fully developed arm, Mary Ann isn't a stranger to adversity. Now the home she currently shares with her four children'with its cramped and crumbling conditions doesn't accommodate her special needs, making day-to-day living all the more challenging.

Twelve years ago Maria Ruiz and her family stopped construction on their home -- leaving it almost entirely unfinished -- and turned their efforts towards feeding poor families in Juarez, Mexico and helping their local community. Now Ty and the designers will be traveling to El Paso, Texas, to finish the job of fixing their home in only seven days.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" will be traveling to Tucson, Arizona, to tell American Red Cross hero Lizzie Bell and her family that they'll have a new home in only seven days.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" will be traveling to Phelan, CA to announce to the Almquist family, who currently live in an aging trailer and are struggling to uphold their animal sanctuary, that in seven days they'll have a new and improved home, and so will the dozens of animals they've rescued.

Loving father and husband George Kadzis, from Tallahassee, Florida, had been battling brain cancer. His one dying wish was to provide his wife and children with a safe home. In keeping with "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition's" call to honor everyday heroes across America, the show informed the Kadzis family that their hurricane-damaged home would be rebuilt and modified in seven days to meet their special needs. Sadly, three days after the family received their new home, George succumbed to his cancer.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" continues to help everyday extraordinary heroes in need when they travel to Montgomery, Alabama, to inform the Jordan Family that their deteriorating home will be rebuilt in seven days.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" continues its journey to honor special everyday heroes and stops in Martin County, NC, where Jeff Cooper and his family will be informed that their decaying home will be rebuilt in seven days.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" continues its mission to honor special everyday heroes and heads to Las Vegas, NV to tell the Cerda family that their unfit home, which is threatening the lives of their two daughters who have an immune disorder, will be rebuilt in seven days.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition's" yearlong mission to find everyday heroes leads them to Indianapolis, IN, where the deteriorating home of the McFarland Family will be rebuilt in just seven days.

When the new season begins, these special guests will contribute far more than special appearances - they'll be part of the design team. In each episode, the iconic "EM:HE" bus will pick up a new volunteer to join the team and help during the build, providing a rare chance to visit America's heartland and connect with real people who need help. Celebrity volunteers will pull up their sleeves, create a design project and put their personal stamp on the home. They will get to know the family's circumstances and needs one on one. In between pouring foundations and framing walls, some of the celebrity volunteers will jump right into the center of the town -- connecting with the locals, hanging out with the design team, spearheading a community project and bringing their unique personality and talents to the project. It's not all hard labor and sweat -- every episode has plenty of room for good times with good people. Getting on the bus will allow America to get to know the celebrity volunteers in an entirely new way -- as a real person who wants to make a real difference.

Chris and Niki didn't hesitate to open their hearts and home to young Gage, Kira, Lexi and Jacob, who now range in age from two to eight years old. Squeezing out the space for them, together with eleven-year-old son Dakota and eight-year-old daughter Hannah, has been the real challenge. Currently the three boys share one set of bunk beds in the dining room, and the three girls share another set of bunks in what used to be a utility closet. Since the cottage has no closets, plastic storage bins are stacked floor-to-ceiling in every room. Dinner is served assembly line-style, and everyone sits on the floor except for the youngest children in booster seats. What the family lacks in comfort and space, they more than make up for with love. The children are incredibly close - literally and figuratively - and Chris and Niki look forward to the day when they move beyond full legal custody of their nieces and nephews to become their adoptive parents. Chris, a land surveyor, basketball & football coach and president of the Missouri Family Rodeo Association, and Niki, a saleswoman and MFRA secretary, also have rescued six horses that live on their five-acre farm along with three dogs.

About two years ago, Carlton was shot in the neck while serving a narcotics search warrant. Severe spinal cord damage was immediate, followed by hearing loss and a stroke. Today rehabilitation has restored some of Carlton's mobility, but he is still primarily confined to a wheelchair. Health issues also affect the Marshalls' young daughter, Jessica, who began having seizures about a month after Carlton was so severely wounded. The Marshall family, which also includes a young son, Joseph, must cope with these health problems in a house where snakes have infested the walls, attic, wiring and plumbing. Furthermore, the foundation of the house is sinking, and the septic system backs up on their lawn. Despite their myriad difficulties, Carlton and Susan's big hearts remain open to others as supporters of the nonprofit program TROT, Therapeutic Riding of Texas. The Marshalls hope to modify their horse barn and stables to host TROT sessions, which would also be helpful to Carlton.

Nathan was a promising young engineer on his way to a six-figure management position when he first began volunteering to help the needy. Realizing he wanted to pursue charity work full-time, he stepped off the fast track to launch Salt and Light, the philanthropic organization he leads as executive director. Nathan has seen the number of local families in need rise dramatically in the current economic crisis, and Salt and Light now feeds an average of 250 families each week. But the altruism of Nathan and Jenny, a middle school aide who works with special-needs children, has taken a heavy toll on the family's living conditions. Since both of them have modest salaries, they've been unable to afford much-needed repairs to their dilapidated two-story, 100-year-old home. The roof over their heads is falling apart, much of the siding is gone, and the brick foundation is crumbling, among other problems. The Montgomerys feared that they'd have to move out for safety reasons, and would no longer be able to continue their vital community service.

Two years ago, Steve Mattingly was responding to a fire call at a neighborhood home, where he was asked to direct traffic around the site. Steve's wife, Melissa, was driving by the fire when disaster struck: Steve was hit full speed by a car that didn't see him. An EMT herself, Melissa immediately got out of her car and ran to her husband to give him care. Steve suffered multiple injuries, brain damage and amnesia. To date, he has had seven surgeries to try to repair the damage. Most of his problems with pain, balance and memory are irreparable, and he will probably never be able to work a full-time job again. Although Steve, 41, has regained his ability to walk and retains his humorous personality, his family knows his life has changed forever. They live in a small, 700-square-foot crumbling trailer, and Melissa, 38, is now the sole wage earner. They cannot afford to fix the home, which they also share with their growing daughters, Alana, 12, and Madison, 11. Now it's up to Ty and the gang to give this family who have endured such hardship some comfort in a peaceful new home.

Crippled by polio during infancy and abandoned by his American G.I. father in Vietnam, James nevertheless considers himself one of the luckiest people in the world. He was supposed to be airlifted out of Vietnam on a military plane that crashed, killing all the children and aid workers aboard. Instead, he had safe passage, leading to a new life in America as an adopted son in an Ohio family. While growing up, James competed in wheelchair sports and later represented the U.S. at the Paralympics, where he earned both gold and silver medals. He continues to serve his country in civilian technical support for the Air Force and by helping disabled veterans. James also is a frequent speaker at schools, educating children and teens about living with special challenges.

Thanks to a bone marrow transplant from an anonymous donor, Joey Stott miraculously survived leukemia and made a miraculous recovery. She and her family then pursued their dream of life on a self-sufficient organic farm that they'd fantasized about for years. But just as they'd made their dreams a reality, an electrical fire threatened to destroy them permanently: This past spring, Joey woke in the middle of the night to a series of electrical explosions that looked like a fireworks display. The farmhouse's ancient wiring was sparking and threatened the entire house. The fire department arrived quickly enough to save the structure, but warned that the same thing could happen again if the wiring weren't totally replaced. But the family can't afford to replace the home's wiring. Joey, 33, husband Philip, 45, and their three children, Kaila, 19, Jonathan, 16, and Michael, 15, are terrified that they'll have to leave the farm they love and abandon the dream they've fought so hard to realize. The Stotts are currently living in the house, despite the dangers. Now it's up to Ty and the designers to make the Stott home safe and to get the farm up and running again.

Trina, 44, met her husband Dave while he was serving with U.S. Army Special Forces in Fort Bragg - and it was love at first sight. After his discharge, Dave became a Clarksville police officer. In 2002, he and his partner were on duty when their police car was violently struck by a truck. The car spun out of control, hit a guardrail, caught fire and killed both Dave and his partner almost instantly. Overwhelmed with grief, Trina turned to a group called Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc., which helps the surviving family members of officers killed in the line of duty. Inspired by the help she received from C.O.P.S., Trina devoted all of her free time to the organization and became its President in 2003. The time that Trina dedicates to C.O.P.S. represents essentially a full-time job, and that's on top of the full time job she works to support her three daughters -- Leyla, 17, Deidie, 13, and Alethea, 11. Trina has spent more than $20,000 on the mounting repairs to her small home, but the structural problems caused by termites and water damage remain.

Having experienced a childhood of hardship, Clara vowed to make a difference for the next generation, and neither modest means nor the challenges of Myostenio Gradi, a degenerative muscular disease, have stopped her so far. For decades Clara has put her personal needs second to feeding, clothing and nurturing children in her home, organizing charitable drives, arranging field trips, tutoring, giving cooking lessons and much more. But the rampant disrepair of her crumbling two-story home -- including a cracked foundation, a leaky roof, peeling walls and a faulty sewage line -- increasingly threatens the life-long mission that means so much to her and the people in her neighborhood. Furthermore, the house lacks the wheelchair accessibility she needs, requiring her to stay with her daughter and head back and forth each day.

Sixteen years ago, Sandy was pregnant with her first child and working as an early childhood education teacher. After the birth of her daughter, Catricia, Sandy examined her daycare options and discovered that none of them met her standards. She decided to quit her job and start her own daycare in the community where she'd grown up. Because most high-quality daycares were too expensive for her neighbors, Sandy found ways to run her daycare at a lower cost and charges just enough to support herself and her family. She also offers a multicultural environment to these children, who affectionately call her "Tia Sandy." Sandy's dedication to her daycare and her community has produced one of the best daycares in the city; even the Mayor of St. Paul sent his son there. Now it's up to Ty and the designers to build Sandy, 40, her daughter Catricia, 15, and her son Mychal, 12, a safe home that is a sanctuary for their family and will enable the daycare to remain a center of community life and education.

At the age of five, Kori Cowan was diagnosed with a congenital blood disease affecting her immune system. Since then, her parents have made multiple trips every month to Riley Hospital in Indianapolis, where Kori meets with her doctors and receives intravenous blood infusions. Recently Kori started developing polyps in her nasal cavity and behind her eyes. She has already endured 17 operations as a result of these painful growths that have to be surgically removed. Doctors believe the polyps may be the result of environmental issues in the family's home, including an extreme mold infestation. Ryan, the oldest boy, has also fallen ill and gone to live with his biological father - tearing this close-knit family apart.

Twenty-two years ago, Delores Powell moved to the United States from Jamaica in search of the American dream. Making just $100 a week as a home health aide, she struggled to make ends meet. Delores worked hard to support herself and her growing family and became a U.S. citizen in May of 1999, but the accomplishment was overshadowed by the abusive nature of her relationship with her ex-husband. In 2002, after reaching her limit, Delores picked up her children and moved to Buffalo, NY, in search of affordable housing. They rented an apartment for a year before finding what they believed was the jackpot, a six bedroom "fixer upper." Unable to afford a lawyer, Delores struck a deal with the seller personally, but unfortunately the seller failed to disclose that the house was on the city's demolition list. Never one to give up, Delores begged the city for leniency and they agreed to waive the order if she could get the house up to code. Delores, 49, and her children Joel, 18, Gabrielle, 16, Deborah, 15, and Anschel, 10, began building scaffolding, hanging drywall, installing windows, and countless other repairs. But even after five and a half years of work, the family's home is unlivable.

On November 11, 2009, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" traveled to Davidson County, NC - with celebrity volunteers Jewel & Ty Murray -- to meet Tricia Creasey, a beloved teacher who is battling stage-four cancer while her husband struggles to keep their home livable for their family.

Over three decades ago, Tripp's father ran a bus ministry for the Woodland Baptist Church, hoping to make his rough neighborhood a better place. Now a generation later, Tripp and Tamara are continuing a family tradition of service and generosity. About 40 kids each week and over 90 children on holidays board the bus for fun and safe activities that have ranged from bowling on a Friday night to flower arranging for Mother's Day. Tripp, an electrician, and Tamara, a teacher's aide, serve as Bus captain and Project coordinator, respectively. More importantly, Tripp, 31, and Tamara, 30, have taken on the role of mentors to many of these children who sometimes look for a sympathetic ear outside the home. The Tripps give of themselves lovingly -- but their generosity literally has its costs. Since their church cannot afford to fund the activities available through the "Big Blue Bus," the Tripps pick up the tab. Earning only modest salaries from their regular jobs, Tripp and Tamara have little left over to repair the crumbling 900-square-foot, two-bedroom, one bathroom house they share with their young sons, Micah, 5, Ethan, 3 and Aaden, 9 months.

Growing up in Gainesville, Jill Wagstaff always knew of the huge impact the arts had on the lives of her friends and family. In college she met Tobin, who shared her love of the arts, and they eventually married and had four beautiful children: Tobin James Jr., 7, Rudy, 6, Dallas, 5, and Larissa Jolene, 4. In 2002 the Wagstaffs started Studio Percussion, Inc., a non-profit music school and arts center specializing in the use of drums and percussion to encourage and inspire students towards community involvement and leadership development. The family runs this organization out of their home, in the space where Dallas and Larissa Jolene currently sleep. The studio currently serves about 200 people, half of whom receive financial aid. Their utter devotion to their family, their school, and their community leaves the Wagstaffs little time and few resources to tend to their dilapidated home. Now it's up to the "EM:HE" team and hundreds of local volunteers to build a safe, new home that will allow this family to continue to support the arts in the lives of their family and their entire community.

On February 1, 2010, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" traveled to Slaughterville, OK to meet Brian and Audra Skaggs, whose son, Jhett, survived a heart transplant at just 10 months of age. Although he's made incredible progress over the past two years, the poor condition of the family's moldy, rotting, termite-ridden home poses serious risks to Jhett's weakened immune system. In only seven days, team leader Ty Pennington, the design team, plus celebrity guest designer Jillian Harris of ABC's "The Bachelorette" will help build a safe and healthy home.

Heathcock, 39, and his wife Gina, 40, are working themselves ragged in order to afford the best education for their children Annie, 12, Gary, 10, and Tessa, 7. In addition to his work for the Army National Guard, Sherman works as a sheriff's deputy, a SWAT team leader, a grocery store security guard, a neighborhood watch group organizer, and volunteers his time to provide security for his kids' school and to coach his son's football and baseball teams, while Gina works part-time as a paralegal. During Sherman's first tour in Iraq, Hurricane Katrina sent several large trees crashing down on their property and onto their home. Adding insult to injury, while beginning to tackle the long list of repairs, Gina fell victim to a re-roofing scam. The rotting ceilings and damaged foundation are crumbling beneath them, and with Sherman currently serving in Iraq, his wife and kids are worried about losing the battle in their own home.

For many years, the Beach family have been a huge blessing to their surrounding communities, and they continue to go above and beyond to help others. Larry, 40, and Melissa, 39, have fostered 80 children, adopted 9 (Jose, 20, Mikala, 18, Paul, 14, Faith, 12, Hope, 9, Jake, 4, Gracie, 3, Jeremiah, 1, Mercy, 1), and given birth to 4 boys of their own (Chris, 22, Mike, 21, Cody, 19, Justin, 8). Many of their adopted children are living with serious mental and emotional disabilities, but Larry and Melissa's love and support has shaped and developed them into well-adjusted children with passion for life. When Hurricane Ike stormed through town, flooding and tearing apart the Beach's house, the family struggled to survive as snakes, rats and mold overtook the home. Eventually they were given two FEMA trailers. But after one year, FEMA took them back, and now two adults and nine children are crammed into a small travel trailer in the backyard. Struggling to find money to repair their crumbling home, Larry and Melissa remain positive and focus on not just their family's needs, but the needs of others.

At a very young age, Amanda was forced to take on the role of a mother figure to her siblings. The children were often left alone for extended periods of time and, because the family moved so often, they were frequently out of school. Between missing school herself and caring for her siblings, Amanda fell so far behind that she dropped out after the seventh grade. At 16 Amanda reached out to her aunt for help, and she agreed to take care of Amanda and the two oldest boys. Living with her aunt helped Amanda get her life back on track, and within three months she received her GED and began community college classes. When she turned 18, Amanda moved to Myrtle Beach to continue her college education. When she met Derrick, they instantly fell in love, were married, and soon welcomed their first born, Walker. But shortly thereafter Amanda's brother, Jacob, informed her that he and his younger brothers were being taken away from their parents and placed in foster care. Without hesitation, Derrick and Amanda brought the boys to live with them.

Katrina and Mike Carr met while working at a summer camp for special-needs children. After they married six years later, the couple followed their passion of making a difference in the lives of others by adopting four kids from Kazakhstan who'd been abandoned at birth. Two of the children were born with Amniotic Band Syndrome, which caused Ryanne, now 7, to have both legs and one arm amputated, and Rina, 3, to lose a leg. Their brother Nikolas, 9, was recently diagnosed with Sensory Integration Dysfunction, which causes an inability to organize information as it comes through the senses. Compounding the family's struggles, health problems have required their father, Mike, 41, to have both pancreas and kidney transplants over the past decade. Yet, for all the challenges Ryanne, Rina, Nikolas and Mike face -- and which Katrina, 37, and daughter Haydn, 8, face with them - the Carrs carry on with unfailing spirit and optimism. Being a triple amputee hasn't stopped Ryanne, for example, from climbing trees, riding a handcycle and running. She's learned to rely on different prosthetics for different activities. Katrina, who has a master's degree in education, home-schools her children who otherwise would miss public school classes too often for doctors' appointments. Mike has taught environmental education at camps for special needs kids and is also an artist and jewelry designer.

In light of everything he endures living each day with Prader-Willi, Ethan maintains a remarkably contagious positive attitude. With the help of his parents and older brothers, Jared, 15, and Ryan, 13, Ethan maintains a healthy weight, is in a traditional 4th grade class in school, and is a "poster child" for how a child can progress with this disease. After the national Make-a-Wish foundation granted his wish to visit Walt Disney World, Ethan made it his mission help other Make-a-Wish children with life threatening illnesses reach their goals. As an ambassador for his local Make-a-Wish chapter in Tulsa, he is working to shed light on Prader-Willi syndrome and has also raised thousands of dollars to help grant wishes for other local children. Because Ethan will never be able to live on his own, his current home needs to provide him the things he needs to thrive. Now it's up to the "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" team to build a new home that will allow Ethan and his family to manage this disease and continue to help others who are living with Prader-Willi syndrome as well.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" travels to Pine Mountain Valley, GA, to meet Jeremy and Jennifer Williams, whose son, Jacob, was diagnosed with Spina Bifida before he was born. Then, several years after Jacob's birth, Jeremy was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease. Now the home Jeremy and Jennifer bought 13 years ago is falling apart around them. In addition to mounting repairs, the home is too small to accommodate two disabled family members. NFL Star Michael Oher and the Tuohy Family ("The Blind Side") are the "Get on the Bus" volunteers, while ESPN football analysts Herm Edwards, Mark Schlereth, Mark May and Desmond Howard are special guests. Plus, Demi Lovato and Wilmer Valderrama also appear in the episode.

Ty Pennington and his design team, including new designers Xzibit and Jillian Harris, traveled to Baltimore, Maryland, to surprise the students of Boys Hope/Girls Hope in a unique way and reveal to them that their lives were about to change. For the first time in the history of the show, the recipients were surprised on live television when the "EM: HE" team greeted the students with the good news. Another first in the show's 170-plus episode history came unannounced, courtesy of Mother Nature, when an epic rainstorm threatened to knock the 11,000 square foot build off its strict seven-day schedule. Adding to the excitement, drama and fun of the build was the participation of the kids from the Emmy Award-winning comedy "Modern Family" (Ariel Winter, Nolan Gould, Rico Rodriquez), actress Raven-Symon, basketball superstar Shaquille O'Neal and music sensation Katy Perry.

Grace and John Lutz were a loving couple who were unable to have children of their own. They gave their hearts to many children, including several with Down Syndrome. After the couple passed away, their daughter, Kathleen, gave up her career and gladly came home to take care of six Down siblings who currently range in age from 20 to 25 years old. Everyone agreed that putting the kids in a group home or institution was not an option. Kathleen's brother, John Jr., willingly sacrificed his successful career as a gymnastics coach to move home, and the two of them are now a team who care for their siblings. Nothing can dampen the spirits of this cheerful group. They love to sing and dance, cook and play games together. But the crumbling condition of their 40-year-old home has become a concern. The Down siblings will not grow up and move away, they will not marry or drive cars; they need their home to be a safe permanent one, with everything to accommodate their special needs.

Eight years ago, Rhex Arboleda came to this country from the Philippines in pursuit of the American dream. The "EM:HE" team paired up with "Dancing with the Stars" to give Rhex that and more when he answered the most extraordinary wake-up call of his life. Brimming with excitement, Rhex, a hometown hero, his wife, Claire, and their five children -- CJ, Clarenx, Calix, Cullen and Rhex -- emerged from their home to find their favorite designers and dancers ready to literally bring down the house.

Trisha Urban of Hamburg, Pennsylvania suffered a terrible tragedy with the untimely death of her husband. Now she and her one-year-old daughter have an opportunity to turn the page on their past and open a new chapter in their lives in a home built on a foundation of joy, innocence and whimsy. By drawing upon classic fairy tales and rhymes, the "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" design team rebuilt their crumbling, 300-year-old log cabin and farm and transformed it into the dream home that Trisha and her late husband, Andy, had once hoped for. Celebrity volunteer and supermodel Christie Brinkley helped in the build and participated in a fundraiser at an American Heart Association event honoring Trisha's husband.

The students at Oregon School for the Deaf (OSD) in Salem, Oregon, are well known for their spine tingling annual Halloween haunted house fundraiser -- dubbed the 'Nightmare Factory.' The event, held in the basement of the boys' dormitory, goes a long way toward generating much-needed income for the 140-year-old financially-strapped school, a place which students consider their second home. But the 12,000 square foot basement where the Nightmare Factory is usually held has become frightfully unsafe. In just seven days, The "EM:HE" design team had to make the OSD basement safe again and trick it out in a scary and spook-tacular way.

When the 2,000 square foot home of a single mother of nine caught fire in Pocatello, Idaho, breast cancer survivor Jane Marshall and her children were awakened by Betsy, the family dog. Thanks to Betsy, everyone was able to get out safely. To celebrate the Marshall-Spreier family's enduring human spirit in the face of difficulty, Ty and the "EM:HE" design team not only built them a new house in just seven days, but also found ways for some of Betsy's dog brethren to get involved in the transformation of this music-loving family's home. While designer Paul DiMeo played piano with a full symphony orchestra, team leader Ty Pennington orchestrated ten dogs to bring down the family's devastated house, including Molly, a dog who actually operated an excavator!

With their sights set on "The Volunteer State," the Extreme Team returned to Nashville, Tennessee, inspired by the state that lives by the standard of neighbor helping neighbor. Devastated by the 500-year flood on May 1st of this year, one image continues to endure: News stations across the country featured footage of a school building floating down the interstate. What people didn't know was that the Sweatt family had been running the school since 2003. Despite the extensive damage to their own facility, Brian and his wife, Barbara, spearheaded recovery efforts and have helped over 200 families to date. On September 10th, the "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" designers teamed up with some of country music's brightest stars to take the bull by the horns and deliver a new school to some deserving students.

Andre and Jasmine Anderson have never allowed their visual impairment to slow them down, but rather have faced it head on, and established the Disability Awareness Center in Maple Heights, Ohio, to help others who are struggling with sight loss. The couple and their sons learned they would be recipients of a home makeover while aboard the public bus that they ride every day. The "EM: HE" team surprised them on the bus and revealed plans to give them a new "smart" home, equipped with technologies that support people with disabilities.

The holidays get into full swing when international superstar Mariah Carey helps the "EM: HE" team create a Winter Wonderland in Pensacola, Florida for Finis Gaston and his niece and two nephews. The spirit of giving is all around, from the moment Mariah Carey steps off the "EM: HE" bus to give this deserving family the surprise of a lifetime to the snowy reveal as Christmas parade revelers dance to her new holiday hit, "Oh Santa!," and volunteers and the community welcome the family to their festively-decorated new home.

The inspiring 10-year-old, wheelchair bound Garrett Grommesh from Moorhead, Minnesota is ecstatic when he finds out that Ty and the design team will be giving his family a new home that will be handicapped accessible. Since their old home is in good enough shape for another family to live in, Garret asks if he could pay forward his good fortune so that his classmate, Arlinda Hajdari, and her family could receive their former home. The challenge is on, as the "EM: HE" team, builders and volunteers work twice as hard to get not one but two homes move-in ready in just seven days.

The nature loving Lampe family's tree service business has been hit hard by a series of unfortunate circumstances and on-the-job injuries, forcing them to slow their pace and turn down work. In spite of it all, Jeff and Shelley Lampe power through each day to keep the family afloat. They converted their garage into a makeshift wrestling gym to train and mentor young people in their community. The Lampe children, ranging in ages from 4 to 17, have outgrown the dilapidated house, and youngest daughter Angela, who has Down syndrome, needs a safe haven and a place to play all her own. It's time for someone to step in and focus on the family's problem-ridden house so that the Lampes can focus on reigniting their sense of adventure.

The Simpson family from Savannah, Georgia receive a new home that will be a better living environment their two-year-old son, Zoe, who was born with a life-threatening illness. Zoe confounded medical experts when he fully recovered, and he continues to grow and thrive. Volunteer participants include celebrity chef Paula Deen and two-time Olympic gold medalist Shaun White.

Girl Power reigns when the "EM:HE" design team builds both a new home for a family who volunteer and chaperone for the Girls Scouts of the USA, as well as a cedar log cabin at Camp Tanglewood, a Girl Scout camp in Martinez, Georgia. In appreciation, design team leader Ty Pennington was made an honorary Girl Scout!

Joe, a pilot and the tireless founder of Air Mobile Ministries, and his wife, Cindy, a former nurse, have been on a quest to provide clean water to a thirsty world. They have accomplished this by spearheading efforts to install life-giving water purifiers in disaster ravaged and often dangerous areas around the globe. Joe and Cindy had been passionate about helping Haiti years before the devastating 2010 earthquake. They adopted two orphans from the country, Dieunika, when she was two years old, and Juliet, who was adopted when she was three years old. Twelve-year-old Peter, who shares his father's passion for flying, has participated in missions to deliver water purifiers.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" traveled to Fort Hood, Texas a year after tragedy struck the base to deliver a fresh start to one lucky couple. On November 5, 2009, a gunman fired more than 100 rounds at soldiers and civilians on base. In the aftermath, 13 people were left dead and 32 others were wounded. Among those caught in the crossfire - Patrick Zeigler, a soldier who had only returned from Iraq two weeks prior. On that ill-fated day, Zeigler was hit four times, with a near fatal gunshot to the head. Patrick's life was forever changed. Upon hearing of his tragedy, fiancée Jessica Hansen put her college degree on hold in order to be by Patrick's side and to aid in his recovery. Now the couple will discover that love conquers all.

Nearly one year ago, a tragic turn of events changed the Hall family of Wichita, Kansas forever. A car accident left dad Carl paralyzed from the shoulders down. As a result, life would change dramatically for everyone in this active family of six. Having thrived in a fast-paced family lifestyle that included everything from running carpools to coaching baseball teams, Carl and his high school sweetheart, Stacey, found themselves facing the biggest challenge of their lives. But on February, 17 the Hall family were ambushed by the Extreme Team, and now the Halls are poised for the opportunity of a lifetime.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" invited the Marines to fall in for a call to action in Beaufort, South Carolina to honor Marine Staff Sergeant Bill Dickinson's family with a new home. Bill was deployed to Afghanistan on November 5, leaving behind his loving wife, India, and five children, who are fighting a losing battle here at home to save their house -- a scenario far too common for many military families across the nation. In Bill's absence, their home is rapidly depreciating due to spreading mold and water damage. Despite the deplorable conditions, the family maintain and model their lives in the same way their father honors his country. India volunteers on behalf of a military support group, and the oldest children, Grant and Brianna, both plan to enlist in the Navy after they graduate from high school. Volunteers and local military will be on hand to lend their efforts and some good old fashioned elbow grease to the Dickinson family.

For the past 25 years, Carrie has been more than just a high school varsity volleyball coach; she has become a beloved member of her community by serving as a mentor, counselor, confidante and sometimes a second mom to some of her students. Two years ago, that mothering role became real when the parents of Ashley, Taylor and Gina Brewer passed away and there was the possibility that the girls might have to split up. Without hesitation, Carrie agreed to take into her home not just volleyball player Ashley, but also her two younger sisters. Carrie offered them all a secure home life, and is now their permanent guardian. But her small, run-down house does not properly accommodate them, and its crumbling walls make it unsafe, especially during hurricane season.

The energetic and lively 9-year-old Patrick Sharrock from Rossville, Georgia manages to inspire everyone he's around. His positive attitude is even more remarkable because of his rare genetic condition, commonly known as brittle bone disease, where even the slightest bump could cause his bones to snap. The family's 50-year-old crumbling house is a major landmine for him. It's up to the "EM: HE" design team to build a safe environment that Patrick could call home in just seven days.

The iconic "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" returns for a ninth season with a special two-part premiere featuring an appearance by First Lady Michelle Obama. As part of her Joining Forces initiative, Mrs. Obama participated in the episode featuring the Marshalls, a military family based in Fayetteville, NC.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" travels to South Jordan, Utah in an episode featuring the Gomez family.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" travels to Madison, Georgia, to surprise the Rucker family with the door knock that can change lives.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" traveled to Crawford, New York, to surprise the Korpai family with the door knock that can change lives.

On July 1st, 2008, twelve days before his 21st birthday, Brian Keefer suffered a drastic gymnastics injury that paralyzed him from the neck down. Brian was a sophomore at Lock Haven University heading into his junior year. With this injury, Brian needed 24-hour care and his father, Steve, didn't hesitate. After working 30+ years at a distribution post for the military, he gave up his job and regular life to move onto the college campus with Brian as his primary care aide. With his Dad's help, Brian is (with obvious qualifications) in many ways thriving: he even won Homecoming King at his college.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" travels to Medford, Oregon to surprise the McPhail family with the door knock that can change lives.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and the Entertainment Industry Foundation are joining forces for a one-hour special fundraising event entitled "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition A Veterans Day Special."

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" traveled to Lewes, Delaware to surprise the Dunning family with the door knock that can change lives.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" traveled to Springfield, Massachusetts to surprise the Walker family with the door knock that can change lives.

A 16-year-old who inspires all who know him, Wyzhir Johnson-Goslee is smart and charismatic, and dreams of becoming an interior designer and construction worker because he has a knack for design and loves working with his hands. In fact, Wyzhir dreams of fixing up not only his own home, but also has a to-do list of improvement projects he undertakes throughout his community. Tragically.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" travels to Columbus, Ohio to surprise the Rhodes family with the door knock that can change lives.

After welcoming three teens deemed "unadoptable" into her home, a single mom with two kids of her own is forced to move her family into her mom's cramped place. Jesse Tyler Ferguson and the team give them a fresh start in a new house with tons of space.

A young man and his siblings relocated to Ogden, UT, as refugees after experiencing a devastating loss in the Congo. Now, Jesse Tyler Ferguson gives the family life-changing news before Tamara Day and volunteers build them a modern-tropical home.

Even after suffering a major injury, a caring teacher that works with at-risk teens dedicates his life to helping his students. Jesse, the designers, hundreds of volunteers and two special guests work around the clock to renovate his family's home.

A firefighter hero, his mom and three daughters are living in a cramped apartment and need a fresh start after the loss of his wife. With help from hundreds of volunteers, Jesse and the design team build a brand-new home in less than a week.

The co-founder of a non-profit that inspires at-risk youth has fallen on hard times due to health complications. Jesse, the designers and volunteers surprise his family by renovating their 1970s-style home into a midcentury modern masterpiece.

In a show first, the team surprises two families with a duplex. The military families struggled to adjust to civilian life after active duty, so Jesse and the team enlist volunteers to construct the home in a community built just for veterans.

After a tornado damaged the home of a mom and her daughter, the property has been plagued by undesirable living conditions and mold. Jesse and the team step in to give them a French Country-inspired home that makes health concerns a thing of the past.

A family that dedicated their lives to serving the country now serves the less fortunate, but time has not been kind to their 100-year-old Craftsman. It's up to Jesse and the design team to help restore the historical home to its former glory.

After gang violence struck too close to home, a couple opened their doors to neighborhood kids to provide a safe haven. The home has seen better days, so Jesse, the designers and volunteers give the large family a space to match the size of their hearts.

A Los Angeles police officer and his family work tirelessly to give back to the homeless population on Skid Row, and their home has become neglected. Jesse and the designers lead a team of volunteers to renovate their home to give them a spa-like retreat.