Positive Bystanders in Extreme Makeover Home Edition

There are many reasons why bystanders fail to act in emergency situations. This reasoning is called the Bystander Effect, which causes people to assume that other bystanders are more qualified to help, and that their assistance would be unneeded. But there are those who do step out of their comfort zone in order to help. We all know of the inspiring reality hit television show Extreme Makeover:Home Edition that rebuilds deserving families' homes in less than a week, and changes the lives of families by bringing the community together. While I was flipping through the channels, I came across this very emotional episode in which the Extreme Makeover Team rebuilt a house for siblings who returned home after the death of their parents to care for their six adopted siblings with Down syndrome. Unable to have any children of their own, loving couple Grace and John Lutz gave their hearts to 18 adopted kids in all, including seven with Down syndrome. After the couple passed away, their daughter Kathleen willingly gave up her career and came home to take care of her six siblings with Down syndrome. Soon after, Kathleen unexpectedly had a grand mal seizure and was diagnosed with inoperable cancer. Her brother John Jr stepped in and sacrificed his successful career as a gymnastics coach to move home and care for his sister and other siblings. Although faced with trauma, nothing could dampen the spirits of this cheerful group; however, the crumbling condition of their 40-year-old became a concern. The electrical wires were unsafe, the water leaked, and there was mold and rotting wood everywhere. They needed their home to be a safe and permanent one in order to accommodate their special needs. And that’s exactly what Extreme Makeover: Home Edition helped fix. Instead of Ty Pennington's traditional morning wake up call, he stormed onto a baseball field and announced the news right before the Yankees and New York Mets baseball game. In just five days, the team along with more than 100 volunteers completely demolished the family's old house and built a brand new, cherry-red one in its place. Sporting a new swimming pool and a gigantic skylight, the new house is a huge upgrade for the Lutz family. Because the family would be spending a lot of the time in the house, it was furnished with tons of games and activities, like a giant chess set and jungle gym outside along with a New York theme in a hallway outside the kids' bedrooms, which was made to look like a New York City street. This special family is a local celebrity, and community rallies have taken place to help them in every way. However, because there are certain things that people aren’t qualified to fix, this show provides the hope and the ability that with a little bit of work and a lot of positive support from bystanders, anything can be done.

Citation Information:
"Lutz Family." Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. ABC. 03 Oct. 2010. Television

Lutz Family Photos. Photograph. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. 03 Oct. 2010. Web. 03 Oct. 2010.