Today I was called on to help a family who desperately needs one of those Extreme Home Makeovers you see on TV.  In fact, they have already been nominated for that show, but it seems they are done for the season and since they've already worked with a family within 100 miles of here, they were turned down.  These poor folks must be feeling like the Biblical Job by now.  They have three children, two girls and a boy.  Both the girls have Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a progressive wasting disease of the muscles.  The older one can move her head and use one hand a bit, but that's ALL.  The younger girl can crawl around on her elbows.  They are in an experimental drug trial in Utah that has helped stabilize the progression of the disease for now, but the prognosis is not good.  The home health equipment needed to care for these girls is monstrously expensive, but beyond that, its really BIG.  The average sized bedroom just doesn't get it.  The family currently lives in a bi-level home, which makes it really hard for them, since they have to carry the older girl everywhere within the house.  The bedrooms just aren't big enough and the hallways won't accomodate her motorized wheelchair.

To top it all off, their son was recently diagnosed with Krohn's disease!  Poor little guy has to go to hospital frequently to be medicated intravenously because the oral medication wasn't working.

The list of things these folks need is a mile long, but first and foremost they need a house they can get around in!  I'm looking for a ranch style home with extra wide doorways and big bedrooms, with either a pool for therapy or room to install one.  We have a carpenter willing to remodel to make an existing home accessible, but chances are that building from scratch will be the best way to go.  Has anyone out there had any experience with doing their own local extreme makeover?  I'd love to be able to bring this family into a home that meets their needs!  What are my chances of getting charity funds for something like this?