'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition': Family tears up as their revamped house gets ramps for Jeff's wheelchair
The Holtzclaw family is a true representation of hope and grit. Roughly two years ago, Jeff lost his right leg in a freak car accident. But that hasn't stopped him or his wife, Emily, and their three daughters from smiling.
Jeff has continued to inspire his many students with his attitude and approach towards life but even a hero needs saving. The family has a compact house with narrow door spaces, which makes it difficult for Jeff to maneuver his wheelchair around the house. "I had big plans for this house before my accident. All of that came to a halt. All of the money that we had just got sucked up. The house is not in fantastic shape but I am extremely blessed to have my family," he said.
"We are going to get through it," Emily added.
The spirit of this family is unbeatable and that was what makes them all the more special and deserving of this extreme makeover. Breegan Jane, an integral part of the design team on the show, during her inspection figured that the layout plan wasn't serviceable for Jeff and had to be changed. She immediately knew the family needed an open floor plan so that the wheelchair can be used seamlessly around the house.
The kitchen too was a big concern because there was a water leak earlier, which had led the walls to dampen and chip off in patches. Breegan had an excellent idea to liven it all up. She explained that the new kitchen would have two windows that will have cabinets on the front but they'll be missing the backs so that the area gets as much natural light as possible.
After the family left the spot so that the teams could get down to working on the house, host Jesse Tyler Ferguson announced that they'd be getting a "charming ranch dream home." But that is a lot of work and without the volunteers, it would not have been possible for the team to pull off.
Darren Keefe began his work on the yard that precedes the house and briefed his team that he'd like garden boxes laid out for Jeff to do some gardening. He said that was the best way to spend time with family. However, he had also kept in mind the safety of his little kids in mind and has planned a fence so that they can play within a boundary.
By the end of the week, the team, Bohler Builders Group and the thousands of volunteers had built the Holtzclaw family a beautiful home. And the way they reacted upon seeing their renovated home for the first time was priceless. It was pure joy. Jeff broke down into tears when he first saw the ramp that will now allow him to use his wheelchair around the whole house. "I can just walk. I don't even have to hold the railing," Jeff said as he cried.
It was truly an emotional moment for the family as they realized that they finally be with one another no matter the time and place. Earlier, Jeff was isolated from his wife and kids because the layout didn't allow him to move around much.
"It feels like a whole new life and we are so excited to start it," Jeff beamed as Emily nodded in agreement.
Catch all the new episodes of 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition' on HGTV every Sunday.