LA Free Clinic Receives Holiday Makeover

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
The LA Free Clinic
Recap By J.G. Bird
12-11-05

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition “Holiday Wishes” had the same feel as the “Family Reunion” special from mid-year. It did feel a little more forced than that special, and I had to wonder if the holiday season was just a way to thread together segments they’ve taped over many months. Only a few of the visits made by select members of the design team had even a minimal touch of Christmas. Ty reminds his bus companions that they’ve helped over 50 families. Except for Sweet Alice Harris, each of the families revisited are 2nd and even one 3rd Season family. The most important visit for curious viewers is a follow-up with Robin Leslie whose home was nearest the gulf areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

The show’s opening doesn’t deviate from formula: Ty is thanking his team for assembling as the bus travels the streets of Hollywood, CA. He acknowledges this is a special project as they have all the designers here – (Well, no, neither Eduardo Xol, Daniel K. nor the other new designer, Tanya M. is here!) A short video plea from Sweet Alice Harris is viewed – She has an idea for helping thousands of Angelinos. Mrs. Harris meets up with the designers at the Los Angeles Free Clinic.

This agency provides medical care and other social services to 23,000 who might otherwise go untreated annually. What they provide is inherent in their name. Believing healthcare provided in a doctor office setting is a right not a privilege, the Clinic has operated in Hollywood since 1967. Its Director suggests that the waiting room is not arranged well. Clerical workers demonstrate that the sign-in desk space is insufficient. Plus, Staff meetings, for as many as 17, fill a room to capacity. The designers also decry the lack of space and fun activities in a children’s area. Their usual miracle makeover has to fit into the space of a weekend (2 and a half days), since the clinic can’t deny the needs of its patients for a week.

Ty dons a doctor’s jacket and stethoscope and orders the staff out for the weekend.

Demolition is previewed to the doctors and nurses at the Mann Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. The doctors and nurses share some laughs and some tears as demolition sledge hammering plays out for them on the big screen. The contractor’s volunteers arrive in a line of black stretch limos to give it a “Hollywood event” feel.
We are introduced to the workforce of Swinerton Builders. The focus is put on their Project Executive & Team Leader Peggy Delach. The name Jay Gibson is the name I thought was the company name stated on tape, but that’s apparently a team member, not the company itself; they are specialty commercial facility contractors.

Ty presents airline tickets to Home Edition staff at this point to visit an assortment of past recipient families. Each designer is instructed to encourage a family to “join them on a mission to pay their good fortune forward.” Ed stays with the Los Angeles Free Clinic project. He and Ty will provide the designers touches to the public and private areas of the clinic building.

Patricia Broadbent is responding to treatment and has not been sick and she also reports that HIV is not detectable in the girls. (Only 2 of the girls are present on the day of Michael Maloney’s visit.) Michael goes to Mandalay Bay Resort and the chef there helps create 150 meals for the Broadbents and Michael to deliver. In Extreme fashion, when Michael calls Ty for a Vegas “tour guide” Wayne Newton rolls up. Patricia Broadbent makes these personal surprise visits to individuals and families special by noting that she wants to bring people hope to inspire that same desire to “pass it on.” Can one visit, even a small effort that takes up just a few hours in a day be meaningful?

Consider the accomplishment of being there to visit someone who’s very recently lost the last of his close family. It is briefly described that Michael Henderson in the last year has cared for both of his elderly parents and his partner infected with AIDs. His father passed away just a week before this visit. They bring new housewares along with the holiday meal, as he has gone through an eviction concurrently. Michael and Patricia both go out of their way to bring this man comfort and the bonds of friendship.

This special is pretty dry in the hi-jinks area. There isn’t a bit of schtick with the megaphone, although there’s a segue to a commercial break with Ty Pennington in the looking boyishly delightful in a Santa suit, and reminds me of a childhood Christmas character. Anyone remembering the 1970 stop-motion claymation character of Kris Kringle in the holiday TV classic, Santa Claus Is Comin to Town will know what I’m talking about.

Paige is in Tennessee and visits with Luis Rodriguez. The combat medic who lost his leg, and had his story documented this season, wants to fix up fellow veteran Bobby’s home. The founder of “Homes For Our Troops” works on the project with a small team. In Roxboro, NC, we get to see Bobby Issacs, much improved from when he appeared briefly in the Makeover episode covering the Rodriguez’ Makeover. On July 19th Bobby received his second prosthetic leg and is no longer relying on a wheelchair. He’s also gotten engaged to a woman named Charlotte. We are shown some demolition to the cabin Bobby lives in and replacement of the rotted-out porch deck with a ChoiceDeck. Bobby and Luis spend some time visiting other vets who have lost limb and are cared for in a North Carolina VA Hospital. John, of Homes For Our Troops, Luis and Paige raise the American flag outside once the cabin is refurbished. A fishing boat for Bobby’s enjoyment on the nearby lake, and a diamond pendant for Charlotte are added features of the Makeover gifts. A Kay Jewelers commercial tie-in immediately follows.

Back to the progress at the LA Free Clinic - 150 Combi Strollers are given away to families receiving neo-natal care through the clinic. We have a cameo appearance by James Denton of Desperate Housewives; a desperate crack at humor. He’s called in to help Ed with plumbing in the clinic bathrooms, but he only plays a plumber on TV.

Another family that must’ve been a viewer favorite request for follow-up is the Pope family. Shelby, the oldest daughter in the family, is allergic to the sun. She no longer has braces on her teeth and has all that wonderful outdoor space modified to limit her sun exposure. (Shelby’s condition is PMLE - No direct sunlight.) XP – Xeroderma Pigmentosum is a more serious condition. Paul and Tracy chaperone a special trip that involves the Pope family bringing an enjoyable opportunity to a support group for families struggling like they have with Shelby’s care. No sunlight at all for kids with the XP condition. Paul and Tracy are shocked to discover the lengths to which these children’s caregivers have to go and the serious medical consequences for even a minor exposure. Very young children have already had skin cancer surgery. Mothers reassure their children with readings from light meters that an area is safe to be in uncovered. Ty apparently does the legwork to get the OK on a special request – opening DisneyWorld for an overnight field trip for these special kids.

Their access is from midnight to 4am. The Mayor of DisneyWorld welcomes the group at the Sleeping Beauty Castle. Riley is one of the girls delighted to visit with Disney princesses. Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys performs “Deck the Halls” for the families. All get to ride several rides, watch the electrical parade and meet other characters. (One of the mothers makes the point of pointing out that the Disney characters are only out in the daytime at the amusement parks.)

Preston, in reunion episodes and most of the second and third season shows gets my usual kudos for his always just slightly choked up, but astute reporting and handling of emotional scenes. Locating Robin Leslie in Mississippi takes him through a great swath of the remnants of business districts and residential areas hit by Katrina.

Preston starts his endeavor in Jackson, Mississippi – Robin Leslie and her three little boys lived just south of New Orleans. Plaquemine’s Parish was an area of Louisiana under mandatory evacuation when Hurricane Katrina threatened the gulf. She and the boys have spent a month in an RV, with extended family nearby. In her face, Robin carries a bit of stress and anxiety – she has not seen how their made over home weathered the storm. Plus she did not take any pictures or important documents in their rush to evacuate safely. So, the sight of her refurbished home’s environs battered but not fallen, still has quite an impact. Robin and Preston work with Sears American Dream to provide clothes to the displaced families of Biloxi, Mississippi. A coordinated visit by First Lady Laura Bush, delivers an air of hope at the site.

The final unveiling: L.A. Free Clinic needs are certainly met – new signage out front, new windows and flooring, new interior and select exterior paint. The waiting room and some of the examination rooms appear to have wall-mounted plasma screen televisions. One very obvious wall treatment has a typographic mural of hot pinks, greens and aqua blues with the L.A. Free Clinic name.

There’s a better, more worker-friendly sign-in area, updated with comfortable high-back office chairs, computers and file cabinets. The “Triage room” has a special sunburst design workstation table (crafted by Ed), storage and bookshelves (Ty’s signature style) with all new medical texts filling them. We see splashes of color on examination room walls and the staff is giddy over new patient tables.

In responding to the question “What does it mean?” to see the changes at the facility - “It means more will live than die” Sweet Alice states.

Abby comes across as a clinic doctor, certainly a spokesperson, possibly the director, but while that’s never made clear, she is the one most excited by every change that’s been accomplished in just under three days. She loves the comforting zoo animal mural in the kid’s examination room. She’s also choked up to see the staff’s three assistants get emotional over the news that each of them has been given tuition to nursing school.

Outside there is a quick Ribbon-cutting Ceremony so the Clinic can open its doors back up to patients and show off the new look.

Our two hours is tied up with several of the designers again speaking on this idea of “Pay It Forward.” Through little deeds, big changes are possible. It’s a wonderful message to pull together under in this season. If you get help, give it. There truly are causes and reasons all over America. Ed mentions it is okay even if you help out just once. The truth beyond that for most people is once you have done something gratifying to help someone, you’re not likely to stop.