Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on ABC

By Ally Matteodo

ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition again outpaces the rest of the television program pack this week.  Airing at 8:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, January 17th, this episode focuses on the amazing Terpenning family of Beavercreek, Ohio.  James Terpenning, the patriarch of the family, was born in Vietnam to a Vietnamese woman and American man.  The Air Force helped move James to America while still a little boy, in a policy aimed at protecting American or half-American infants.  Stricken with polio as an infant, James needed a wheelchair from then on, but this did not stop him from becoming a decorated athlete, winning two gold medals at the Paralympics.  James family consists of his wife Shannon and their four children, Josselyn, Jacob, Justin, and Joshua.  In addition, James takes care of his little brother Joe, who suffers from cerebral palsy.  The Terpenning family home limits the two brother’s movement, with narrow corridors and high countertops.  Furthermore, James struggles putting his own son Joshua to bed since his crib is raised.  Ty Pennington and his team to the rescue!

This season’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition series revolves around the theme of volunteerism, and this week’s celebrity guest volunteer was country music star Kellie Pickler.  Kellie throws herself into the tasks at hand, from painting a treasure chest to demolition work, and brings her little brother Eric along for the ride.  She emphasizes how important and touching the experience is for her, and how she’s certain Eric will remember it for the rest of his life.  This program really showcases the power of volunteers.  With enough volunteers, a beautiful house can be built and decorated in just a week, something that almost seems impossible.  Yet what only took a week will last a lifetime for a deserving and beautiful family.  Furthermore, college scholarships grants are given to all of the Terpenning family children so James and Shannon can stop worrying about finances, and James and Joe are given brand-new electrical wheelchairs so their movements are less constrained.  In perhaps one of the most touching details, the design crew builds a new crib for Joshua, so now James can comfortably and confidently tuck in his baby boy.  The design team and volunteer’s ability to anticipate every need, their eye for detail, and their eagerness to completely fulfill a family’s dreams, are all shining examples of the power of love.     

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