A Family in Idaho Gets Help on the Next Extreme Makeover Home Edition  1/16/06

A BACHELOR WHO TURNED "INSTANT FATHER" TO HIS NIECE AND NEPHEW AFTER THE UNTIMELY DEATH OF HIS SISTER WILL RECEIVE A NEW HOME THANKS TO ABC'S "EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION"

"Hebert Family" -- When Eric Hebert of Sandpoint, ID got the unexpected call a year ago that his sister had died, leaving her twin children orphaned, he stepped up to the plate in a big way by becoming instant father to his niece and nephew. Now it's Ty and the gang's turn to step up to the plate in their "extreme" way by turning a rundown house into a home that will preserve the meaning of family and help rebuild lives on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," SUNDAY, JANUARY 22 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Eric was living life as a bachelor in Montana and saw his family in Idaho about once a year. However that all changed when, in 2004, his 37-year-old sister, Francine Hebert, became the third person in his family to die of a heart attack; both his parents had passed away when he was only a teen. Knowing that his eight-year-old niece and nephew could possibly end up in the foster-care system, he packed up his belongings, moved to Idaho and became an instant-father to the twins, Keeley and Kyler.

When Eric arrived in Idaho to take custody of Keeley and Kyler, he could not believe what he found; the twins and their mother had been living in a rundown trailer. At the time he took custody of the kids, all he could afford was a "Berm House," which is essentially a daylight basement with a roof on it. A construction worker by trade, Eric and the kids lived in a tent on the property for months while he worked hard to turn their shack into a three-bedroom house. Still, living underground isn't easy; their "house" is also home to many species of insects, such as, bees, ants and spiders! Eric's dream is to build them a home to finally be proud of, but since he's now busy parenting the twins, he doesn't have the time or money to make it happen! In this episode of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition", this bachelor turned instant father will get much-needed help in achieving his dream for his new kids!

While the "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" design team, contractors and hundreds of workers and volunteers, along with the Sullivan Homes, are building a new house for the Hebert family in a remarkable seven days, the family enjoys a vacation in the Bahamas.

The design team for this episode of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" will feature team leader Ty Pennington, Paige Hemmis, Eduardo Xol, Michael Moloney and Ed Sanders.

The series is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. It's executive-produced by Tom Forman and co-executive produced by Denise Cramsey. "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" is broadcast with Spanish subtitles via secondary closed captioning. This program carries a TV-PG parental guideline.

Source: ABC Press Release