When approximately 20 million Americans sat down Jan. 23 to view ABC-TV’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” few may have known that the story behind this weekly transformation of a family’s home and life was, itself, a miracle. The popular show chooses one family in need and greatly improves, or even rebuilds their home in seven days.

Pleasant Hill Adventist Academy (PHAA) student Jhyrvé Sears, age 17, has waged a lifelong fight against Krabbe Disease, a rare and life-threatening degenerative nervous system disorder. In March of 2004, the young woman underwent treatment at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina. There, Jhyrvé received a cord blood stem-cell transplant along with chemotherapy. Karen Sears, Jhyrvé‘s mother, accompanied her to Duke, while brother, Lucas, remained in Martinez with his father.

The city of Martinez is a distant suburb of San Francisco, and is north of Pleasant Hill, where Jhyrvé attends a Seventh-day Adventist school and where the family worships at Pleasant Hill Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Because Jhyrvé‘s treatments left her immune system compromised, doctors indicated that her old, mold-ridden house was unfit for her. So, while Jhyrvé was in North Carolina, the local Adventist community began raising money to help with the increasing medical expenses and inevitable house renovation costs.

Lise Wallace, a teacher at PHAA, and her husband, Steve, realized that fundraisers were not enough. Enclosing the Pacific Union Recorder article on Jhyrvé, a Contra Costa Times newspaper front-page feature, and a video created by local Channel 4 news station cameraman Ken Lombardi, Lise sent an application packet to ABC’s show.

In October 2004, producers informed the Wallaces that ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” was going to help.

Dedicating 50 to 60 personal hours per week, Steve and Lise Wallace—both members of the Pleasant Hills church—organized volunteers and meetings, coordinated with city officials for clearances, frequently visited the build site, secured building-related materials and made extensive phone calls.

A local contractor, DeNova Homes, then agreed to partner with ABC’s show in December 2004. Approximately 915 tradesmen and 335 volunteers worked directly with the project, with hundreds more participating in supportive roles, which included city staff, Adventist church members and 61 food vendors that donated meals for the more than 1,000 workers. The house itself required 105 man-hours and 150 yards of concrete.

Although volunteers were abundant, the project site itself presented unique challenges to both DeNova Homes and the “Extreme Makeover” crew. Neither DeNova nor “Extreme Makeover” had ever been involved with a job of this magnitude. While other projects had ample space for parking and building materials, the Martinez site had limited access with streets less than 20 feet wide. The old house rested on a steep incline, so builders had to remove 1,200 cubic yards of soil before starting construction. 

Despite the challenges posed with the renovation, the house was successfully completed and ready for unveiling Dec. 15. The unveiling of the Sears’ new home affected many of Jhyrvé‘s friends, who hadn’t seen her in more than nine months. 

For Jhyrvé‘s arrival, “Extreme Makeover” surprised her with the PHAA choir singing on the front lawn of her new home. 

“At the unveiling, from where I was, I could see the choir. Just seeing them and my family again made me start to cry,” she said.

The house has been specially designed to accommodate Jhyrvé‘s condition. The Swiss-made air filtration system, using special HEPA filters, uses ultraviolet rays to eliminate bacteria and viruses. The windows are designed to prevent dust formation, which will help alleviate Jhyrvé‘s breathing difficulties. With four bedrooms, the new home features individualized rooms to fit the taste of the Sears family members.

Because Jhyrvé enjoys 1950’s-style music and décor, designers decorated her room accordingly. Complete with a digital jukebox, black and white checkered floor, and a drive-in style home theater system, the room fits Jhyrvé‘s taste. “I just love my room!” she said. “It’s my favorite room of the house.”

The Martinez community, along with many Adventists, also impressed the crew of the ABC show.

“We had several hundred volunteers who were there every step of the way,” said Milan Vasic, location manager of “Extreme Makeover.”  “They kept our spirits up and our bellies warm with homemade cookies and brownies. They helped us paint, clean, carry furniture, pick up trash and drive. We could never have accomplished this without the help of the entire community. Thank you all!”

As the airing of the show drew closer, volunteers from all the participating companies showed excitement. DeNova Homes rented out a local, 900-seat theater to allow their employees to watch the show together. Also, Shell Oil Refinery, which provided a large lot for off-site storage and parking, hosted a party at their community clubhouse to show the episode.

A month after the renovation, the students and faculty at PHAA continue to keep in touch with Jhyrvé, as they have from the start of her treatment.  Students who visit Jhyrvé must undergo a “scrubbing” procedure, which requires the use of a medicinal soap on the hands up to the elbows. Despite this requirement, her friends continue to visit her as much as possible. “It was unbelievable to see Jhyrvé again. Finally, I could talk to her in person,” said Chris Kam, a friend and classmate at PHAA.

While the church and school members raised U.S.$60,000 before Jhyrvé came home, this has not fully met the monthly expenses.  DeNova Homes raised an additional U.S.$150,000—up from the U.S.$100,000 announced on the broadcast—for Jhyrve’s trust fund, which is specifically set aside for medical expenses and/or college education for her and her brother Lucas. However, additional money needs to be raised to cover the approximately U.S. $3000 per month medical and living expenses.

As for Jhyrvé, her condition continues to steadily improve. “I’m getting better. I am working on walking again,” she said.

The Sears family is a testament of the power that a united community can have through the help of resources such as ABC’s “Extreme Makeover.” The Sears family continues to express their gratitude.

“Through the community, God has provided us with more than I could have ever imagined,” said Karen. “After many sleepless nights spent in prayer, like Daniel in the lions’ den, God took care of us. None of this could have happened without the support of people like Steve and Lise Wallace and countless others within the community. And now, at last, we’re home,” she said.