Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on ABC

BY CHRISTIE OSBORN

“Love is the only thing holding the walls up.” For the Drumm family, loving and helping others is more important than anything else. Unfortunately, their selflessness makes it difficult to maintain even a basic lifestyle, so their home is in shambles and they are struggling to keep food on the table. On the Sunday, June 21^st episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (8:00 p.m. ET), Ty and the gang showed up in Quincy Township, Pennsylvania to build the Drumms a home and alleviate some of their struggles. The Drumm’s heartfelt desire to reach out and care for others is heart-warming and inspiring, making this episode the Best TV Show of the Week.

Matt and Blasia Drumm have always put others first. Matt is a freelance writer and part-time tutor while Blasia is a teacher’s assistant for special needs children, allowing for both of them to spend as much time as possible at home with their three sons, Ben, Donnie, and Nathan. The entire family is very involved in the local Little League for special needs children, the Pen Mar Challengers, where they invest all of their extra time and energy. Caring for special needs children hits close to home for Matt and Blasia because their two youngest, Donnie and Nathan, are autistic. Seeing the time and energy that this family puts into their community and the youth league makes it even more heart-wrenching to see the conditions in which they live. The Drumm’s house sits on an old trash dump, which has led to many problems, including the contamination of their well. They have no running water, no heat, and no insulation, making their house little more than a shack. In order to pay bills and maintain the bare necessities, Matt and Blasia had to sell their car, which has put them in a tough position because Donnie and Nathan regularly have to see special doctors who are two hours away. They somehow manage to juggle their jobs, the Pen Mar league, and the boys’ doctors, all while maintaining a smile.

Ty and his group of designers send the family off to Disney World while they build a home big enough to accommodate the love of this family. While keeping the Drumm’s tight budget in mind, the design team builds a beautiful home filled with energy-efficient appliances and a giant solar panel on the roof. When the new home is shown to the Drumms for the first time, the audience can almost see the stress lift from Matt and Blasia’s faces. The family explores their new home and continuously remarks on how grateful they are. Once again, Ty and the design team have managed to bring relief to a family who gives everything. This show always features amazing families who have dedicated their lives to helping others, giving audiences real-life examples of how to live a fulfilling life.