Sears Family

Sears Family
Season 2, episode 13
Recap by J.G. Bird
January 23, 2005
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition has reached some milestones by the end of the first-run airings of its second season. A People’s Choice Award nomination and win, a string of spin-offs, both begun [How’d They Do That? and “in the wings” [Wedding Edition] are only icing on the cake. The sweet success is in recognizing the undeniable accomplishment of having shed light on various people’s lives, especially where health conditions complicate or eliminate a normal sense of being home.

The Sears family has been living a ten month existence completely away from their Martinez, CA home. Karen Sears and her fifteen-year old son, Lucas, have uprooted themselves for the chance that a procedure across the country might continue a healthy life for seventeen-year old Jhyrve Sears (pronounced Jher-vay). The girl has a genetically inherited condition that shows symptoms either in infancy, or has a juvenile onset, as hers does. Krabbe disease, (pronounced Crab-ay) causes neurological damage that has historically been fatal. The treatment providing hope is a cord blood [stem cell] transplant. The treatment is performed by one doctor in the country, Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg at Duke University, in North Carolina.

From the first tear shed by Paul as they watch the family’s tape, you know in your gut that this one’s going to be tear-laden. Ty boards a plane to the East Coast, while the bus travels up the West Coast. Ty, alone, gets to shout out “Good Morning” to the Sears family in front of the apartment they rent in North Carolina. To safeguard Jhyrve’s health, Ty leaves his shoes at the door, disinfects his hands and wears a mask to share some time with the family. The usual family vacation isn’t even brought up. What this family needs is a way to get back home. Later in the hour, Ty calls upon Hall of Famer, Jim Kelly, to ask him if he can come up with a flight aboard a private plane to fly Jhyrve and her family back to California. A commercial flight is out of the question given the girl’s weakened immune system from Chemotherapy related to the Krabbe treatment. Jim Kelly has a clear understanding of the matter, for he heads, Hunter’s Hope, a non-profit foundation dedicated to the needs of children with Krabbe, a group which includes his own son, Hunter.

The partial design team, Paul DiMeo, Michael Maloney, Constance Ramos and Eduardo Xol arrive by bus to inspect the Martinez, CA home site. They are immediately concerned for interior signs of mold. There is the dampness and poor drainage in the yard accentuated by the access to the house being on a 40+ degree grade. Laurie and Dave Samson of DeNova Homes, specialists in Oakland area homes and building on slopes are the determined contractors for this difficult building site. Big equipment does quick work of the Sears home and the tearing away of a substantial part of that grade for a larger footprint (house foundation) and flatter landscaping possibilities.


Michael gets shopping at the local Sears and focuses his on-camera time on all the bedroom accents in pinks and purples which he is seeking out for Jhyrve. Connie and the team agree on a two-story layout and Ty lays claim to the downstairs. Luc’s room is to be based on his interest in travel, flight and science; Michael wants to build upon Jhyrve’s love for movies and music with a vintage drive-in theater-themed room. Maybe only from the sweet, tidy appearance of the exterior of the Sears home does the audience get any indication of Karen Sears’ tastes. I’m guessing they’ll focus more on what influenced mom’s provincial-style bedroom in tomorrow’s How’d They Do That? show.

Michael choreographs a group of Jhyrve’s friends together with a squadron of classic cars to get a dynamic shot of people gathered to enjoy a drive-in movie. That photo becomes a great focal point, blown up to mural size, in Jhryve’s bedroom.

Jhyrve’s compromised immune system, and the length of time she has been in mostly bed-ridden recovery contributes to the reality that she will spend some of her time back home in a wheelchair. Easier access into and through the house are a big consideration then. Her friends, especially from her involvement in choir, are what Jhyrve misses most – their involvement is drawn upon again and again. On at least three occasions in this episode, the hometown choirs, which Jhyrve has been a part of, sing. Each time it is the refrains of Ol’ Irish Blessing that is sung, which is heart-wrenching, yet lovely. More tears, every time.

How can you recover from just the relief of such a homecoming, and have to react to the reveal of a whole new house. It’s not surprising that the outdoor reveal was appreciative but very subdued. There is a real, appreciative smile on the face of mom, Karen, in the new kitchen over a decorative finish at the front of the sink. It is one of so many (I think Michael admits to 32 separate paint colors used in decorating the house) fancy decorator touches layered onto this very practically functioning home. There’s the appliances, including a dual oven and warming rack, all the smooth counter surfaces being easy to clean and disinfect in white throughout. Dual pane windows that have blinds embedded in them and exterior treatments that wick away moisture help insure a mold problem will not develop again. Hyper Hepa-filtering is brought in to make Jhyrve’s environment infection-free and clean-air safe at all times.

The look on Luc’s face on entering his room is a mix of wonder and disbelief. I think a “no way!” escaped his lips. Spare parts and volunteers from Southwest Airlines had a big part in providing the actual pilot’s chair, and instrument panel embellished desk nook. He commented it was “over the top,” but “not too far.” Factory package ribbons of on-flight peanuts for curtains, a little much? How about the passenger seatbelt tiebacks for those curtains? Ha! Too fun. The Nifty Fifties flash of Jhyrve’s indigo blue and hot pink walls, believe it or not had a cozy, warm feel to it. Add to that comfort zone a Jukebox and motor-retracted theater screen from the ceiling, wow!

Ty, once again, murmurs to yet another mom, “You deserve a retreat, go look at your new bedroom.” And how surprised Karen is to find a room very much as she would want - incorporating tastes she didn’t think these designers could know she desired, without the benefit of living with her for years. Front yard pond with Koi seems small for the usual extreme additions on this show? Well then, of course, the pool’s inside! Ty’s secret rooms are largely therapeutic, but beautiful to look at. As already promised in the teasers, the blue, bubbly wall finish in the pool room and the exercise room is clearly to be highlighted in the Monday segment.

The contractors, Laurie and Dave (DeNova Homes), make the final announcement that donations have been gathered to a total of $100,000 for the family’s use in college funding, paying down medical expenses, whatever. There are a lot of good wishes from the individual design team members that reinforce the final hope, that Jhyrve’s full recovery is possible.