Spring Break
Extreme Makeover: Corvallis Edition
Popular ABC show comes to town to help family of an
Nick Vardanega
Issue date: 7/11/07 Section: News
When Rob and Rachel Byers purchased their house on N.E. Granger Ave. in Lewisburg, just north of Corvallis they had the intention of fixing it up.
But when their eight-year-old daughter Jenessa was diagnosed with cancer in January 2006 those plans were put on hold.
Now the ABC reality TV show, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," which builds houses for deserving families, has rolled into town to give the family their dream house.
On Saturday morning the show's host Ty Pennington, along with the rest of the design team and an army of volunteers surprised the family to tell them that they had been chosen to be on the show. And they would be whisked away to a Disney Resort in South Carolina while their new home is built.
"It was exciting," said Nicky Hurley who works in marketing for Legend Homes and volunteered to help the process of building the house. "The family was so overwhelmed ... they were just elated."
Legend Homes volunteered to build the Byers' new house for free.
Diane Korman, senior producer for the show said the Byers - who also have two sons - were chosen after the show was "overwhelmed" by messages from the community about Jenessa.
Jenessa "Boey" Byers was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare type of childhood cancer on January 28, 2006.
She went through a year of chemotherapy and radiation treatment as well as surgery to remove a tumor. Despite this the cancer has recently returned.
"Everyone said she is a pillar of the community," Korman said. "She's an incredible girl, with incredible spunk."
Korman said that through her battle with cancer, Jenessa has inspired those around. Despite her young age she has met with Sen. Ron Wyden to ask him to co-sponsor the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act, has created YouTube videos about cancer and raised money to buy toys for other sick children at Doernbecher Children's Hospital.
After the family left for South Carolina, work on the house began. The first step was to demolish the old house, which in addition to being a "fixer-upper" was actually unhealthy for Jenessa as it was filled toxic molds, a faulty electrical system and dry rot.
But when their eight-year-old daughter Jenessa was diagnosed with cancer in January 2006 those plans were put on hold.
Now the ABC reality TV show, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," which builds houses for deserving families, has rolled into town to give the family their dream house.
On Saturday morning the show's host Ty Pennington, along with the rest of the design team and an army of volunteers surprised the family to tell them that they had been chosen to be on the show. And they would be whisked away to a Disney Resort in South Carolina while their new home is built.
"It was exciting," said Nicky Hurley who works in marketing for Legend Homes and volunteered to help the process of building the house. "The family was so overwhelmed ... they were just elated."
Legend Homes volunteered to build the Byers' new house for free.
Diane Korman, senior producer for the show said the Byers - who also have two sons - were chosen after the show was "overwhelmed" by messages from the community about Jenessa.
Jenessa "Boey" Byers was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare type of childhood cancer on January 28, 2006.
She went through a year of chemotherapy and radiation treatment as well as surgery to remove a tumor. Despite this the cancer has recently returned.
"Everyone said she is a pillar of the community," Korman said. "She's an incredible girl, with incredible spunk."
Korman said that through her battle with cancer, Jenessa has inspired those around. Despite her young age she has met with Sen. Ron Wyden to ask him to co-sponsor the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act, has created YouTube videos about cancer and raised money to buy toys for other sick children at Doernbecher Children's Hospital.
After the family left for South Carolina, work on the house began. The first step was to demolish the old house, which in addition to being a "fixer-upper" was actually unhealthy for Jenessa as it was filled toxic molds, a faulty electrical system and dry rot.
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posted 7/14/07 @ 5:35 PM PST
The ABC reality TV show, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," is a awesome show that does great things for families in need. It's refreshing to see a network go out of the way and help those who are in more than just a tight spot. (Continued…)
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