"EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION" SURPRISES A BIG-HEARTED FAMILY
OF 15, ALL LIVING TOGETHER IN A SMALL TRAILER, WHOSE GENEROSITY
CONTINUES TO SUPPORT SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES
Jessica Alba Volunteers for "Get on the Bus" Campaign in Special Two-Hour Episode
"Beach family," Parts 1 & 2 -- "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" travels to Kemah, TX - with actress Jessica Alba as the celebrity volunteer -- to meet Larry and Melissa Beach, high school sweethearts who were motivated by their love of children to open up their home and begin fostering and adopting kids, especially those suffering from various disabilities. Larry and Melissa are not only committed to their 13 children, but also to their surrounding communities. The entire family play an active role in their community and dedicate time to the needy and to taking care of the elderly. But in September of 2008, Hurricane Ike swept across the Texas Gulf Coast and left the Beach family home in shambles. Adding insult to injury, their storage unit flooded and destroyed all of their belongings. With mounting medical bills, they're unable to make any of the repairs necessary to move their family back into their home - so they are all living together in a small trailer. This special two-hour episode of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" will air SUNDAY, APRIL 4 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET) on ABC.
For many years, the Beach family have been a huge blessing to their surrounding communities, and they continue to go above and beyond to help others. Larry, 40, and Melissa, 39, have fostered 80 children, adopted 9 (Jose, 20, Mikala, 18, Paul, 14, Faith, 12, Hope, 9, Jake, 4, Gracie, 3, Jeremiah, 1, Mercy, 1), and given birth to 4 boys of their own (Chris, 22, Mike, 21, Cody, 19, Justin, 8). Many of their adopted children are living with serious mental and emotional disabilities, but Larry and Melissa's love and support has shaped and developed them into well-adjusted children with passion for life. When Hurricane Ike stormed through town, flooding and tearing apart the Beach's house, the family struggled to survive as snakes, rats and mold overtook the home. Eventually they were given two FEMA trailers. But after one year, FEMA took them back, and now two adults and nine children are crammed into a small travel trailer in the backyard. Struggling to find money to repair their crumbling home, Larry and Melissa remain positive and focus on not just their family's needs, but the needs of others.
The Beach family will go on vacation to Walt Disney World while "EM:HE" team leader Ty Pennington, designers Paul DiMeo, Tracy Hutson and Michael Moloney, celebrity volunteer Jessica Alba and community volunteers rebuild their home. Also for this episode, Mark Bennett, a fan of the show selected from thousands of requests to participate, gets on the bus as a civilian volunteer.
"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. It is executive-produced by Anthony Dominici. David Goldberg is Chairman, Endemol North America. This program carries a TV-PG parental guideline.
For more information on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," visit ABC.com
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