Every family touched by 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition' (Fri., 8PM ET on ABC) has a worthy story, but few makeovers are as poignant and relevant as last week's renovation.

Ty Pennington and his team headed to Ottowa, KS, to surprise the Hill family, whose patriarch, Staff Sergeant Allen Hill, was almost killed by a roadside bomb while serving in Iraq. Though he survived the blast, he now suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that can be triggered by loud noises, dimly lit spaces and long hallways.

The former Hill family home was located near a rock quarry and a train yard, both sources of constant noise and disruption, so the 'Extreme Makeover' team found a more suitable location on which to construct a new property.

Joplin, Missouri hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons back in May when it was ravaged by a giant tornado that killed 162 people and destroyed an estimated 2,000 buildings.

As survivors reeled from the catastrophe they got some good news from the 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition' gang, who announced they would help rebuild homes for some of those dispossessed by the tragedy.

In what producers say is one of the largest projects ever undertaken by the reality show, 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition' started work Wednesday on the ambitious plan to build seven houses in seven days.

'Good Morning America' host Sam Champion was on hand to reveal the names of the deserving families -- some of whom lost children in the disaster -- who will benefit from the new homes. 'GMA' will be reporting on progress throughout the week leading up to Ty Pennington's "Move the bus!" on Oct. 26.

On this week's 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition' (Sun., 8PM ET on ABC) Ty Pennington and his crew were pulling double duty.

Not only were they building a new home for the Gomez family, they were also looking for a suitable bone marrow donor to give new life to son Jonah, who suffers from a rare blood disorder.

Before a soccer match in Pasadena, Calif. Pennington asked the crowd -- and viewers at home -- to step up and register as bone marrow donors.

As mom Jessica looked on in tears it was revealed that Major League Soccer was mounting registration drives at games all across the country at the same time to try to find a match for Jonah. Here's hoping a donor will be found in time.

The town of Joplin, Missouri hit the headlines back in May after it was ravaged by a huge tornado that killed over 150 people and destroyed an estimated 2,000 buildings.

Now, Joplin's hitting the headlines again as 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition' has announced it intends to build new homes for some of the families who lost theirs in the devastation.

In what producers say is one of the largest projects ever undertaken by the reality show, 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition' aims to build seven houses in seven days.

According to 'The Joplin Globe,' producer Jeff Cruz said "It's a lofty goal, but that's what we're going for. It can happen. It's going to happen. It has to happen."

Chris Powell didn't pull any punches with Krista, his candidate for total body transformation on the season finale of 'Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition' (Mon., 10PM ET on ABC). Normally, he waits until Phase II or III for extreme physical challenges, but he set Krista up with one during the first three months.

Starting at 445 lbs, he set her the task of pushing him in a car around the 1.5-mile track at the Texas Motor Speedway. All of this on the way to her Phase I goal of losing 100 lbs to earn a brand new car.

Krista powered through the challenge, through the 12 weeks and lost 105 lbs. As for the car she won? It's the same one she pushed at the Texas Motor Speedway, so she couldn't have been more excited.

After a disappointing result last week, when Chris Powell had to ultimately send Wally to a clinic for his food addiction after a year of losses and gains, he had more of a success to celebrate this week with Staci on 'Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition' (Mon., 10PM ET on ABC).

When he first met her she weighed 456 lbs and was a pile of misery and despair, having essentially given up any hope of ever being able to turn herself around from spiraling out of control. She never cared enough about herself to take care of herself.

But he also found in her someone with a drive and a need to do better. To be better, and she proved herself to him and, more importantly, to herself with a stunning transformation and a 201-lb weight loss.

MONDAY, JULY 18

'The Bachelorette' (8PM ET, ABC)
It's hometown week for our blushing 'Bachelorette' and her four remaining suitors -- which means kooky family members, tough questions and, knowing Ashley, probably a tearful meltdown or two. But the more important question is ... what is your water heater doing right now?

'Hell's Kitchen' (8PM ET, Fox) season premiere
If you like your reality with a little more realism (and probably just as many tears), Gordon Ramsay returns with 18 masochistic new contenders competing for a head chef position at BLT Steak in New York. Just to spice things up, expect a battle of the sexes that will have tempers flaring.

'Magic Beyond Words: The J.K. Rowling Story' (8PM ET, Lifetime) original telefilm
If you're still on a Harry Potter high following the release of 'Deathly Hallows Part 2,' Potterites might want to check out the tale of how J.K. Rowling (Poppy Montgomery) brought the boy wizard to life whilst struggling to support her kids as a single mother on welfare. Magic!

Chris Powell had his hands full with this week's lucky participant in 'Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition' (Mon., 10PM ET on ABC). More than anyone we've seen before, Wally is deep into an addiction to food, and it proved more than Powell could handle.

During the first three months, Wally was doing fine and even hit his three-month goal. But that's because Powell was living with him, motivating him to work out and, more importantly, keeping him out of those drive-thrus.

Wally's level of addiction to food is as bad as any drug addict or alcoholic. He lies to friends and loved ones, sneaks money to buy food and has even spiraled into despair. Powell tried to do what he could to help Wally find his inner drive and will to succeed and change, but it was just setback after setback.

LaRhonda Darby was Chris Powell's latest challenge on 'Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition' (Mon., 10PM ET on ABC). She came to the show with a big personality and a big stomach she'd nicknamed 'Bertha.'

"Trying to get rid of her as soon as possible," Darby said of Bertha.

Despite some emotional struggles along the way, Darby impressively put in the work and became one of the few participants in the show to not falter in the second phase. In fact, she hit every goal Powell set for her on her way to a new and slimmer self.

The emotions were running high as 44-year-old Dana worked hard to change his life, in more ways than one, on 'Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition' (Mon., 10PM ET on ABC).

The church youth counselor and choir singer shed 203 pounds in one year, but he also found the confidence to shed the fear and insecurity that kept him from revealing his biggest secret to his friends and family.

!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!

It's been a while, but the 'Extreme Makeover' franchise has a second spin-off. The first one, 'Home Edition' has obviously far surpassed its disastrous plastic surgery parent, and this latest iteration looks to inspire personal change through natural means rather than cosmetic.

'Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition' (Mon., 10PM ET on ABC) premiered with the year-long story of one person struggling with weight, and will continue spotlighting a single person for each of its eight episodes.

Taking more from 'Heavy' than competition shows like 'The Biggest Loser,' the only prize on 'EM: WLE' is regaining a sense of self-worth and confidence, and possibly the chance to live a fuller, happier and longer life.

With all the heartwarming do-gooding shown on ABC's 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,' it's inevitable that con artists would want in on the action. According to E! Online, one family succeeded in fleecing the network.

E! alleges that the Cerda family, who appeared on the show in March 2009, conned ABC into building them a fancy new home specially equipped with air filtration systems for their two ailing daughters, who suffer from combined immunodeficiency disease. The problem: the daughters may not be sick after all.



The family moved from Las Vegas to Oregon, allegedly because they couldn't keep up with house payments and medical bills. According to a comprehensive report in The Oregonian, the Cerdas tried to assemble a new medical team in their new hometown, but doctors there didn't find anything wrong with the girls. In fact, they were so skeptical that they reported the Cerdas to child welfare services, who then took custody of the children.

Patrick Sharrock suffers from OI (Osteogenesis Imperfecta), otherwise known as brittle bone disease. His family was selected for the season finale of 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition' (Sun., 8PM ET on ABC) to provide him with a bigger and safer home, which will give him more freedom than he's ever had before.

But a new house wasn't the only treat in store for Patrick and his family. While on their vacation, Patrick was treated to a visit by one of his idols, Atticus Shaffer. The breakout star of 'The Middle' has the same disability as Patrick, but doesn't see it that way.

"It's technically called a disability," Shaffer told the Sharrocks, "But I don't see it in any way disabling us. I'm able to do all the things I really want to do, just a little differently and more carefully."

It was a wall-to-wall 'Mother's Day' theme throughout this week's installment of 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition' (Sun., 8PM ET on ABC). Ty Pennington and gang took care of volleyball coach Carrie Prewitt, who stepped in to take care of the three Brewer sisters when their parents died from drug abuse.

Now this family of four was living in a run-down double-wide trailer, so ABC and the 'EM:HE' crew decided to tear it down and give them a house so huge the three girls could probably grow up, get married and still not have to leave home.

"Our old home felt like right at the end of the book and it was the end of the story," oldest daughter Ashley said after the reveal. "Coach had many memories in that home that we didn't get to share with her. Our new home feels like we're opening the 'Brewitt' book."

On 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition' (Sun., 8PM ET on ABC), any glee from getting a new house was trumped by the chance to meet -- and dance with -- Justin Bieber. When he taught Katrina some of his trademark moves, she wasn't shy at all.

"We do it differently where I come from," she said, and a dance battle ensued: Katrina and her friends against Bieber and his dancers. Her mother noted, "Having her friends there and being able to go onstage and meet Justin Bieber, you could just see a stronger Katrina. And I'm so thankful for that."