EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION - "Keefer Family" - "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" travels to Etters, Pennsylvania in an episode featuring the Keefer family, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET) on ABC. (ABC/KEN WHITE) PAUL DIMEO, ED SANDERS, JILLIAN HARRIS, TRACY HUTSON
Interior designer (and The Bachelorette) Jillian Harris will be assisting
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition with the show moving from cluttered Football Sunday to Family Fridays.
The popular ABC program weekly features a deeply suffering family (victims of natural disaster or catastrophic health issue) in need of hope. The Extreme team then works with a local contractor to rebuild the victim’s home (and life) in seven days while the family is sent on a free vacation.
Tonight (Friday, October 21) Jillian Harris, Ty Pennington and the crew (along with volunteer neighbors) assist the Keefer family.
Harris tells Entertainment Heartbeat about the ongoing ordeal of the Keefers who don’t consider themselves victims but instead lucky as stay busy creating fun while coping with life.
“They are just a super fun-loving, obviously very optimistic family,” Harris says. “They’ve been through so many adversities with their son having a terrible accident and becoming quadriplegic and they’ve just somehow managed to not only inspire their community but us as a team. Brian lives the seemingly normal life; his father has totally devoted his life to becoming his caregiver and Brian has the best personality… I had a major crush on Brian by the end of the week – he just emits that kind of energy that you’re just drawn to.”
Extreme also built an addition that was especially appropriate for Brian and much appreciated. “We gave them the same aqua-therapy pool, if not better than what he was using at his rehabilitation; and they would always notice major improvements in his movements and coordination after the aqua therapy, and that was only once or twice a year, so imagine how much progress he’s made now that he’s got one in his home.”
And because of Brian’s exceptionality, the team included several creative devices that may help his quality of life and possible recovery. “Anybody who’s a techy will love this episode because we created some really great technology that’s never even been seen before. So we’ve really provided as much as we could for this family so we can get Brian back on his feet.”
Harris tells us that she tries to keep in touch with the families, and explains how she goes through the turmoil with the folks on the show. “…you hope that you’ve made a huge difference in their life and you know they’ve made a difference in your life and you’re just proud of it and you can walk away with a huge smile on your face and go, ‘okay I’m saving my energy for the next family.'”
As Harris collects her thoughts she recalls how the show first changed her outlook. “I’ll never forget when I had my ‘Ah ha’ moment…last year was in Wichita, Kansas, I just remember looking at that family and knowing that even though Carl was in a wheelchair and it was a tragic accident, I looked at their family and was so envious of them, I was so envious of their love for each other, I mean, he couldn’t use his hands so his wife actually had to wipe his tears for him and that kind of love is just…it’s given me such an appreciation for that true love and for the people in my life, so I think the benefits for me are everywhere for having a very rich career, to being creative, to learning every day just all the little beauties in life I think a person takes for granted.”
Although Harris has been on television continuously for several years, she will be hosting herself for the first time this January with Canada’s Handy Man Challenge on HGTV. With her fame came endless clients for her own interior decorating business in Canada. But with so many shows to do (and more growing), Harris has little time to serve many of her patrons.
And if Harris must leave customers waiting in line she has even less time for romance. “I’m going to let it happen organically. I just think at one point in my life I worked really hard for the things that are important for me that I should work really hard finding somebody. But I also feel like when you’re looking for somebody I feel you get the best out of people when you’re at your best and I’m at my best when I’m not constantly searching for something.”
From her many journeys that include ordeals with The Bachelorette (“I’m kind of a commitmentphobe after [that].”) and the lovely experiences with Extreme (“…such an appreciation for that true love and for the people in my life.), Harris has a nuanced insight of what’s genuinely important.
“I’ve just moved to be closer with my parents – I have a really great career that allows me to be close to some really special people, and so I feel that if it’s going to happen it’s going to happen. You know, I feel like I’ve been very lucky in love, and the fact that I’ve had many fabulous men in my life, I’ve just yet to find one that’s going to stick around for more than a year or so.”
No one can continue on the decade-long vertical climb that Harris has without juggling some time for emotional release. “I love being around family…and I love cooking; if you check on my website I post a new recipe every Friday…(and) I love camping. And like any girl I really love to shop – It’s a bit of an issue.”
And something of a mystery. Does she ever sleep?