Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

VOLUNTOWN, Conn. -- Good morning, Girard family! Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is in town -- just across Beach Pond from Exeter.

The early morning bullhorn wakeup call actually came in Old Lyme, Conn., where the Girard family is now staying.

By 11:30, the crews and family were already at the family's Voluntown home, located on 100 Preston City Road, for what will be a week's worth of demolition and construction -- just like in TV but better because this one is live, though it will involve plenty of takes and retakes.

The road is now closed and media and onlookers are standing on the neighbor's front yard across the street.

The Girard family lost the house to a fire a year ago, forcing them to move first to a tent then into a camper on the family's property. The family eventually moved in with Carol Girard's mother in Old Lyme, Conn., where the children sleep scattered throughout the house -- in the living room or in the cellar -- due to lack of space.

Tragedy struck again in June when Thomas Girard and his eldest son, Marc, drowned during a family swim. Marc, 18, drowned after he had rushed in to try to save his father.

Marc Girard had just graduated from Norwich Free Academy adn was planning to study to become a priest.

Thomas Girard, a computer technician, donated his time to fundraise for the elderly and the poor and to repair computers at the children's elementary school.

The father and son were both members of the Friars and the Knights of La Ponte.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition has recruited the help of local builder Home Designs By Bruno and hundreds of volunteers and workers to build a new home for Carol, Adam, Jacqueline, Lucas, and Hannah. The family will go on vacation to Walt Disney World during the construction.

Follow the work on www.homedesignsbybruno.com.

-- Reports from Journal staff writer Donita Naylor

 Tags  Conn. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Girard Girard family Old Lyme RI Ty Pennington Voluntown Warwick

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