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Updated: Thursday, 04 Dec 2008, 11:25 PM EST
Published : Thursday, 04 Dec 2008, 5:36 PM EST
Voluntown (WTNH) - Over the past year, a Voluntown family has had little to celebrate. They lost their home to fire, then two family members drowned after a son tries to save his father. ABC's Extreme Makeover comes to Voluntown to help a family that's dealt with some devastating blows.
"The bad luck has got to end," Ray Kamienski, a neighbor, said.
Kamienski lives across the street from the Girard family. In June, Thomas Girard and his son Marc drowned at a nearby pond. This left his wife Carol and their four other children behind. Their house had burned the year before and they were staying in a trailer on the property.
A video, narrated by the Girard's youngest son Lucas, won the hearts of the Extreme Makeover team and brought the ABC show to town.
"It's awesome I guess," Lucas said. "It's amazing."
The Girards got a knock on the door this morning by the show's star Ty Pennington and the rest of the designers.
"When Ty, over the microphone, called we were like 'oh my god' it was a big surprise," Jacqueline Girard, Carol's daughter, said.
"We help people in need but these people in turn help the
community at large," Rib Hillis, a designer, said. "This is a no
brainer for us."
Hillis is designing Adam's bedroom. Little Hannah,
Jacqueline, and Lucas will all get custom designed rooms.
"All I want is a house and that would be the ultimate," Jacqueline said.
Once this house is knocked down, they will have 106 hours to build a new one and put that bus in place for the big reveal.
In the meantime, the Girards are going to Florida. "We're going to Disney," Jacqueline said. "Yay!"
They will return to chants of 'move that bus' in a week and their new home.
The house is scheduled to be knocked down Saturday. If you want to support the family, give blood. A blood drive is being held in honor of Thomas and Marc Girard at the Voluntown Elementary School -- Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
If you would like to volunteer your time or supplies to help the
Girards, please visit
www.extremehomebybruno.com
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