Get your hammers ready for the “Extreme Makeover Home Edition”. The ABC hits TV show is here in Medford, Oregon to change the lives of Lindsay and C.J. McPhail family, who are enjoying their vacation in Hawaii while their house is getting a makeover. The said house is expected to be done within seven days.
I grabbed this very inspiring piece of article from www.joinextreme.com:
C.J. and Lindsay never imagined though they would one day need the help from the very same organization they devoted so much of their time to. Soon after moving to Portland and running a chapter there, their oldest son Sawyer was diagnosed with a form of Autism and their second oldest son Thatcher began to start showing signs of Autism as well. With their children regressing, the family moved back to Medford to live on a 50-acre family property next to Lindsay’s parents. The boys showed great progress, but Sawyer still faced several challenges due to his lack of social cues. Much to the family’s surprise, Sawyer became a Sparrow and through his endearing personality, he helped put a face on autism and brought awareness to over 900 students in his adopted school. While the property and the outdoors are great for the children’s progress, the house is not built for their needs.
The electrical system is from 1958 and recently an outlet actually sparked and shot small flames! Rewiring would be difficult since the home is made of cinderblocks. The windows are all original and are a safety hazard because they are huge and are not tempered glass, meaning if they break the glass won’t shatter. The plumbing is poor and leaks creating mold in the bathrooms. Lastly, there is not heat in the back of the house. Only the kitchen, living room, and front bedroom have ventilation so the family is forced to rely on space heaters in the winter, which is extremely costly and not eco-friendly. Moving away from this house is financially impossible and not desired since the property is crucial to the boy’s progress.
Read the full story of Extreme Makeover in SouthernOregon
