Extreme Makeover Home Edition has been one of my favorite shows for years. Besides being a design junkie and a Ty Pennington fan, I love watching how they take a family and change not only their homes, but their lives. It has been fun watching the show over the years as it transformed from a "let's fix this house for someone in need" to "lets fix this house for someone in need and see if there is some way we can help improve their lives and motivate people to get involved."
Tonight's episode is no exception. I was fortunate enough to be invited to watch a sneak preview as Ty and his crew paid a visit to South Jordan, Utah, to visit Jonah Gomez and his family. Yes, they are an LDS family but that's not really the most important part (though it's always cool to see our fellow Saints be blessed in their challenges). Jonah has a combination of rare blood disorders and he's the only person in the world they know to have both disorders. I've had the humbling privilege over the years to know and to work with many special needs families; I've seen how isolating it can be to feel like you are the only one--I cannot imagine how it must feel to actually BE the only one.
Anyway, he's adorable and so is his little sister and his mom. Jonah loves soccer so this episode features some members of his favorite soccer team Real Salt Lake along with Utah's American Idol star David Archuleta. Jonah's real hope to grow up and be healthy is a bone marrow transplant. So far, Jonah's doctors haven't been able to find a match for him. The focus of this episode is to increase the pool of potential donors. Not only can a bone marrow transplant save Jonah, but it is the answer for many types of cancers and blood diseases. It's not hard to find out if YOU can save someone's life. All you have to do is a quick and simple check swab. During the filming of this episode, EMHE held donor drive events at Major League Soccer games all over the country. To learn more about becoming someone's life saver--who knows? maybe you'll be Jonah's match-- visit the Bone Marrow Donor Registry site or go to ABC's site A Better Community.com.
I'm on the road this week, but when I get home, I'll finally get off my duff and get this done. It's been on my list for a long time, but I haven't given it the attention it deserves. After watching Jonah and his family, it's time to move it up on my list.
How about you?
____________________________________________________
Watch Extreme Home Makeover Home Edition on ABC-TV tonight at 8 p.m. (7 central and mountain).
Oh, and I was NOT compensated in any way to write this little review.
