Extreme Makeover Winner is Heading into the Winds

August 26, 2010

Hey you fans of shows like Trading Spaces and Extreme Makeover Home Edition, you who spend your evenings watching HGTV or TLC to jump start your next home project, and you whose eyes are glued to Ty Pennington as he uses his mad carpentry skills (and all around hotness) to fashion a whimsical yet practical piece of furniture! Yeah, I’m talking to you!

Tune in to ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition in October or November for a heartwarming story about the Marshall-Spreiers family from Pocatello, Idaho.

The family’s story is touching. Here’s the gist: Mom, who singlehandedly is raising her nine children, battled breast cancer two years ago. Then, during her recovery, a fire caused by a faulty dryer vent destroyed their family home.The family was then forced to split up, with half living in a one-bedroom cottage and the other half in a friend’s mobile home. And ultimately, the oldest child, 18-year-old Noah, decided to give up his education to take care of mom and help raise the family.

But Ty Pennington and his crew flew into the rescue, and now, not only does this family have a much-deserved new home, but young Noah received free tuition and equipment to attend a 2011 Wind River Wilderness course! “It was amazing. I was so gretful — it’s something I wanted to do for a long time and I’m really happy that I get to,” said Noah to a local news reporter. (Noah, if you’re out there, NOLS instructors are already fighting over who gets to take you on your course.)

Watch the news coverage above (just be patient through the initial advertisement). The expression on Noah’s face is priceless. And make sure to tune in some time this fall to see the full espisode on ABC. We at NOLS are excited to meet Noah!

And finally, we wish we could send many more young and deserving students on NOLS courses. If you are dreaming of going on a NOLS Course, but can’t afford one, please check out the various NOLS scholarships that are available to you, or enter the Dream Expedition Video Contest today!

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Written By

Aparna Rajagopal-Durbin

Aparna is a NOLS instructor and has been the PR and Marketing Intern, PR specialist, and the Diversity & Inclusion manager at NOLS. She is a founding partner of The Avarna Group (theavarnagroup.com).