The 2007 season finale of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition revolves around Debbie Oatman, a living saint with four kids, including three adopted boys, of whom two are HIV positive. Oatman was chosen by Extreme Makeover Home Edition for a variety of reasons including the fact that her house was slowly sinking into the ground, and the mold that had developed in the home was compromising the delicate immune systems of her children. Camp Heartland has played an instrumental role in helping several of Oatman’s children deal with their condition and has provided them with a safe and fun environment.

THE CHALLENGE

TRD Designs took on the challenge of completely transforming the surrounding landscape of the Clearpool Education Center into a kid-friendly environment so that Debbie Oatman’s boys and other families would have a fun and safe place to learn and play.

"We feel extremely fortunate and honored to have been asked to participate in a second Extreme Makeover project," said Dieck, who orchestrated the landscaping effort for the show. "Debbie Oatman is an extraordinary person and we were happy to lend a hand in the landscape transformation for her and her family."

RESPONSIBILITIES

Dieck’s job as project manager and designer was to coordinate with top-level suppliers including masonry, landscaping, iron work, and other construction needs. The goal was to create an aesthetically pleasing, fun and safe play-area for Camp Heartland campers in less than a day.

"The network wanted us to work fast and complete the job in under a day, which proved to be a challenge due to the fact that the landscape around the Clearpool Education Center presented several issues," said Dieck.

GETTING THE JOB DONE

TRD Designs had their work cut out for them and adding to the challenge their time was cut by seven hours due to unfinished work on the house. They began with a dense ledge that had to be saw cut and chipped out in order to create a consistent grade for the walkways to be installed, which is essential for a safe and stable surface. Large formations of ledge also had to be removed with excavators, a time consuming process that had to be competed in order to move on to the next stage of planting shrubs and trees.

In addition, acquiring woodland plants in bloom in the month of March which would meet the expectations of the shows dramatic Before and After footage was very difficult. TRD was able to meet those requirements as well as locating deer resistant and low maintenance plantings that could also handle excessive moisture.

FULFILLING EXPERIENCE

Tom Dieck cherishes his experiences with the families and people he was able meet and work closely with during the Extreme Makeover projects and would welcome the opportunity to make new friends on a third project.

"It’s a unique and special feeling when so many people come together driven by their hearts and the desire to do something good for a family as deserving as the Oatmans," said Dieck. "I use the term ‘Extreme Makeover Hangover’, when trying to describe the empty feeling one has when everybody goes back to reality because you really do make life long friends during the process."

12 MONTHS AGO