Extreme Makeover Home Edition Show Sparks Outrage  3/29/06

Executives at US TV network ABC sparked outrage after sending an email actively seeking tragedy-afflicted families to appear on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

The popular weekly television show features a family who has their home renovated by a team of workers led by handyman and heart-throb Ty Pennington.

The email, which was forwarded to the network's affiliates, lists the specific diseases and tragedies executives would like to feature on the show.

The internal email, which is posted on website The Smoking Gun, requests employees to look out for families who have a child with Progeria, or "little old man disease", are victims of a hate crime, have a child who was killed by a drunk driver, who are suffering from skin cancer or who are victims of a violent home invasion.

The show's family casting director especially requested a child with congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis, referred to as CIPA, adding, "There are 17 known cases in the US - let me know if one is in your town!"