In This Section
TV Guide Spotlight
Also on TVGuide.com
|
« John's Extreme Makeover Blog
February 11, 2007: Semper Fi
I always say that the families we help are metaphors for the larger story of America; this story is no exception. This week we helped a true American hero. A man who selflessly served his country in its time of need, all without seeking any spotlight or reward. The man I'm talking about is Jason Thomas, a former Marine who threw on his uniform and drove towards the danger on that fateful September morning of 2001.
On September 11, 2001, a day that no American can ever forget, Jason Thomas was living on Long Island and had seen the reports of those planes hitting the World Trade Center. Donning his Marine Corp. uniform, he sped toward ground zero to lend a hand wherever he could. He and another rescuer found and rescued the two Port Authority Police officers from underneath the rubble of the Trade Center and were eventually immortalized in the Oliver Stone film World Trade Center. The most amazing part of the story is that Jason just went home after the rescue and never came forward. He went on with his life, bought a house in Whitehall, Ohio, and got a job as a security guard at the Ohio State Supreme Court. Jason, his wife Kristi, and their five children took in Kristi's aunt and her two children, and lived a quiet suburban life as an unsung hero.
Unfortunately for the Thomas family, the home they lived in was completely substandard and falling down around them. It just wasn't safe for children to be raised in and it certainly wasn't going to last very much longer. We decided that this Marine, this American hero, deserved the security of a home he could trust would be there for him and his children, it was the least we could do. Together with our generous and talent builders, M/I Homes, we built Jason Thomas and family a home not only he could be proud of, but a home that all Americans can take pride in. Our builders Bob Schottenstein, President and CEO, and Mark Norris, Division President, of M/I Homes out of Columbus, really stepped up to make this home a reality. As soon as they heard Jason's story and saw the conditions he and his family had been living in, they jumped at the opportunity to be a part of repaying this Marine for his selfless service to our country.
My project for the week was 13-year-old Jason Thomas' room. I called him "Size 13 Jason" because he is a big kid. He's my man, the quiet type, but when he does talk he means business. It's an honor to work on his room. I really wanted to capture an urban-sophisticated look with an industrial feel. I really got into metal sculpting, welding, grinding.... I even went and found some graffiti artists to add some color to the room. It turned out great, and I know Jason loved it.
We had one final task we had to accomplish before we handed the keys over to Jason and family. We were, after all, bringing a Marine home. With an honor guard, the Thomas family, the designers, our builders, a sea of blue-shirted volunteers, and with the National Anthem being belted out by R&B star Yolanda Adams, we raised the American flag over the Thomas home on their very own flag pole. A very fitting and moving house warming for an American hero and his family.
This Sunday's special 9/11-themed Extreme Makeover: Home Edition airs an hour earlier, starting at 7 pm/ET, on ABC. For more on Extreme Makeover's honoring of a 9/11 hero, see Interviews & Features.
|
TVGuide Links:
|
|
|
|
Feb 9, 2007 3:46 PM
|
|
Great show as usual and another deserving family... hope ed's hand recovers well.
|
|
Feb 11, 2007 9:11 PM
|
|
Great show! Hopefully it will renew peoples support for our troops over seas! What a beautiful family! Hope Ed is doing well!
|
|
Feb 11, 2007 10:01 PM
|
I appreciated last night's episode because it was so refreshing to be reminded that citizens still love this country and are willing to sacrifice for it.
It was wonderful also to see Ed's passion for his adopted home. I'm glad he appreciates this country and wants to be a part of it. Get well soon, friend.
The aggravating thing about this episode was that no one mentioned the importance of a home inpsection. These dear people would have saved themselves lots of grief had they been savvy enough to have their home inspected independently before they purchased it. No insulation? Shoddy plumbing? They should have sued the socks off the builder!
|
|
Feb 12, 2007 10:10 AM
|
Oh - and building a huge house only to have cousins share a room is silly. You all need to think about the future instead of the present when coming up with your "theme" rooms. When those kids get older, a boy and a girl aren't going to want to share a room.
For once, can't you all do nicely decorated rooms these kids can grow with that won't require a major remodel in 3 years when they grow out of it?
|
|
Feb 12, 2007 10:15 AM
|
First, I have to say that I hope that Ed's hand is recovering well. When I saw the surgery previews during the show, my first thought was, "It's Ed." Maybe because he was doing unfamiliar work, or because he's one of my favorites, but I just knew that Ed was the one who got hurt. I hope that he recovers full use of his hand. I agree with vjw that it was touching to see how much he loves his adopted country.
I also agree with vjw's comments about the room for the two little ones; even if they share the room for the next five years, they will outgrow it fairly quickly. My husband's comments about th e slide and merry-go-round were, "Oh, yeah, that's a room that a kid will fall asleep in." I appreciate that "extreme" is in the show's title, but it could be extreme without being short-lived in its usefulness.
I also agree that the builder of that house should be brought up on charges, as should the realtor who sold it (if there was a realtor involved.)
A belated "welcome" to you, John, to the design team and the show. I was a fan of yours when you were on Another World, so you felt familiar right off the bat.
Also, I don't know if you have any clout with the webmasters over at the EM:HE page at ABC.com, but I would like to see the pictures formatted as thumbnails so we could just choose one, rather than page through hundreds. Also, (and I realize that this might be trickier, due to propietary issues) but I would love to see house plans on the site. I'd like to be able to figure out just how the rooms were fitted together.
Keep up the good work! I sometimes wish that you'd show up to work on my old house, but I immediately thank God afterward that we don't have any health, mobility, or other issues that would make us qualify for the show's help.
|
|
Feb 12, 2007 2:31 PM
|
|
|
