Maple Heights family to get KraftMaid 'Extreme Makeover'

A life-changing knock on the door finally took place Wednesday morning.

Willoughby-based Marous Construction stood on one side, joined by the crew of the Emmy award-winning “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” The Anderson family of Maple Heights stood on the other and learned that they will soon receive a home built by Marous and have those very moments broadcast before millions on national television.

Everybody else will have to wait until the show’s eighth episode this season to see exactly how the scene played out. The eighth season began last weekend.

“We are thrilled that Marous Brothers Construction has been selected for this monumental effort to affect a local family in a positive way,” company president Chip Marous said in a statement Wednesday. “We’ve spent weeks planning for this, and now we’re excited to begin construction on the Anderson home.”

Like most episodes, the show involving the Andersons is shaping up to be a heartfelt one. Andre Anderson completely lost his sight to diabetic retinopathy, and his wife, Jasmine, is progressively losing hers to the same ailment and is considered legally blind. One of their two sons, Jaison, is deaf. Despite those challenges, the family is described as one that is deeply involved in its own community.

The five-day build will start this week after the family leaves for an ABC-funded vacation. It will require the help of about 40 Marous employees, 15 to 20 subcontractors and 1,500 or more volunteers.

KraftMaid Cabinetry of Middlefield will donate cabinetry in the episode like it has in all episodes since the 2004 debut. The company also said 200 of its workers will participate in the build.

“Something wonderful and amazing happens when ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ touches a community,” KraftMaid spokeswoman Kim Craig said. “Neighbors and strangers work side by side to help make a difference and for a family they may or may not know. It is a magical experience and has truly been an amazing thing for KraftMaid to have had a part in helping to change the lives of nearly 200 families.”

Those who want to volunteer or make donations can sign up at www.marousbrothers.com.