Best TV Show of the Week
Extreme Makeover: Home
Edition
on ABC
By Catherine Nailog
ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition aired Sunday, May 15 at 8:00 ET and
continues to inspire and motivate viewers of all ages, once again being named
the Best TV Show of the Week. Ty Pennington and designers Ed
Sanders, Leigh Anne Tuohy, Eduardo Xol, and Xzibit travel to Catoosa County,
Georgia, to award a young boy, Patrick Sharrock, and his parents Michael and
Cindy, a new home.
Patrick is similar to most boys his age: he loves to tell jokes, collect and
read comic books, swim in a pool, and play in a club house. But unlike many
nine-year-old boys, Patrick suffers from Brittle Bone Disease, a disease that
causes weak bones to break easily. Michael and Cindy Sharrock very much want
to provide Patrick with a safe home environment which will allow him
independence as he grows up. With the escalating cost of medical bills, home
improvements have been last on their list of priorities; but Ty Pennington and
his legion of designers rescue the Sharrocks from their home-improvement
problems. Craig Smith and Jason Willard of Vision Homes were tasked with
constructing a home in which Patrick could move about safely and with ease.
While the home was being built, the Sharrocks vacationed at Walt Disney World
Resort, where they enjoyed shows and all the offerings that Disney World could
provide. Additionally, Patrick, along with other children with disabilities,
created a public service announcement that conveyed the idea that though one may
be mentally or physically different, one still likes to do the same things that
others do. Patrick also had the opportunity to meet with his hero, Atticus
Shaffer, an actor on ABC’s hit show, The Middle, who plays Brick, and who
also suffers from Brittle Bone Disease. Atticus expressed the notion that a
disability should not discourage one from fulfilling one’s goal, and Patrick is
true to this idea. Meanwhile Ty, his design crew, the builders, CVS Pharmacy,
and community members created a new home for Patrick. Through their efforts,
Patrick can enjoy a playful bedroom, an in-house therapy pool, a comic
book-decorated home-schooling room, a personalized kitchen area, a backyard
clubhouse, and a flame-decorated, customized wheelchair. CVS Pharmacy also
provided a $25,000 fund toward Patrick’s therapy and medical bills.
Additionally, Michael and Cindy are able to monitor Patrick throughout the home
with the help of cameras and a portable viewing system, thus providing
protection and nurturing Patrick’s increasing independence. As a bonus, Michael
and Cindy no longer have to worry about covering the mortgage bill. The
Sharrocks were very grateful for everyone’s generosity.
This episode is
endearing because of Patrick’s infectious spirit and his drive to not let his
disease deter him from pursuing his dreams. He does not concentrate on what he
cannot do, but rather on what he can. Patrick Sharrock inspires those around
him to look past physical impairments of others. If he was a superhero, he
would love to have the superpower of controlling fire, but his father says it
best: that those who have the ability to change other people’s lives for the
better are the true heroes. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is heroic in
its effort to once again rally a community to create a safe and loving home for
a well-deserved boy and his family.
Best TV Show
of the Week
The Parents
Television Council -
www.parentstv.org
