A 135 Year Old Farmhouse on the Next "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"  11/6/06

EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION" HELPS A TWENTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD MOTHER WITH BREAST CANCER WHO'S DEVOTED HER LIFE TO RAISING AWARENESS ON THE DISEASE

The 135-year-old farmhouse of the Farina family from St. Meinrad, IN will have a much needed facelift in a remarkable seven days thanks to Ty and the gang of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Shawna Farina grew up watching her young 29-year-old mother battle with breast cancer. Ever since then, with increased knowledge and commitment, Shawna has dedicated her life to providing awareness, information and funding to breast cancer by organizing Relay for Life Walks in honor of her mother and becoming an active member of the American Cancer society. Three weeks before her 26th birthday, doctors confirmed what she had long feared -- that she too had breast cancer.

Despite undergoing chemo-treatments, radiation, bi-lateral mastectomy and even total hysterectomy, this remarkable woman has put on a strong face for her husband and three children and continues to participate in her part-time job, dedicating her time to Relay for Life, and even remaining a Brownie Troop leader for her two daughters. In the past five years Shawna has raised over $449,000 for Relay for Life, including over $70,000 in the past year alone while undergoing treatments for her own cancer.

Despite her success in amassing funds for breast cancer, the Farina family's dreams of fixing up the old farmhouse are no longer plausible due to Shawna's increasing medical bills. The house contains no insulation for the long and cold winters, has a make-shift shower in their single bathroom and is missing three doors to the bedrooms. Now, with the help of Ty and the design team of "EM:HE," the Farina family will finally have a home they truly deserve, one in which Shawna can watch her children grow up, undefeated by her illness.

While Ty and the designers, local builder Kerstiens Homes & Designs of Jasper, IN and hundreds of volunteers and workers are rebuilding their home, the Farina family will go on vacation to Walt Disney World.

The design team for this episode of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" will feature team leader Ty Pennington and designers Paul DiMeo, Eduardo Xol, Tanya McQueen and John Littlefield.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," which has won back-to-back Emmy Awards as Best Reality Program (non-competitive) is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. Denise Cramsey is the executive producer and David Goldberg is the president of Endemol USA. The series is broadcast with Spanish subtitles via secondary closed captioning. This program carries a TV-PG parental guideline.

Source: ABC Press Release