01/18/05 - HIT TV SHOW EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION TO INCLUDE LOCAL SPORTS HERO AND FOUNDATION THIS SUNDAY

Orchard Park, NY - On Sunday, January 23rd at 8pm on ABC, Buffalonians may see a familiar face: that of their beloved former Bills Quarterback, Jim Kelly. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition changes the lives of lucky families forever when they learn that they have been selected to have a home makeover. This week will showcase a home they built for a Martinez, CA girl who suffers from Krabbe Disease, the same disease Jim’s son, Hunter, suffers from and the reason behind the Hunter’s Hope Foundation.

Each episode begins with team leader Ty Pennington's now-famous "Good morning!" wake-up call, when he, along with the other designers, surprises the unsuspecting family with news that their home has been chosen to receive a makeover. Then viewers witness not only the unbelievable transformation of the house, but during the final and emotional reveal, they see how the home makeover has impacted the lives of the deserving families.

In this particular episode, 17-year-old Jhyrve Sears got the wake-up call on December 8th, 2004. She underwent chemotherapy and a cord blood transplant as treatment for juvenile onset Krabbe Disease (Hunter Kelly has infantile onset Krabbe) at Duke University in Durham, NC last year. But she was unable to return to her Martinez home due to the mold and allergens at her family's house. When Extreme Makeover: Home Edition learned of her plight, the design team and hundreds of workers put in long days and nights so that Jhyrve could finally come home. There was one minor problem though, because of Jhyrve’s compromised immune system, she was unable to travel aboard a commercial airplane. That is when Ty called in a favor from Jim Kelly, asking him if he knew of anyone that might be able to donate a flight aboard a private plane to fly Jhyrve and her family back to California for the home revealing. Jim pulled some strings, contacted some buddies, and was able to see the Sears’ Family make it home ok.

Jim Kelly is excited about the show’s broadcast, “us Krabbe Families are a tightly knit bunch. We have been in contact with the Sears’ Family for years now and upon hearing of Jhyrve’s diagnosis, we assisted them as much as possible down at Duke. We are ecstatic not only that Jhyrve was finally able to return home, but that Krabbe Disease will be given national attention this Sunday.”

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