THIS E-MAIL REALLY BOTHERS ME A BIT...

My son and I both enjoy watching the ABC hit show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The show, for those who may not be familiar with the format, focuses on a family who has been experiencing hardship. The programme sends the family on a week's vacation, while a design team led by Ty Pennington and a band of volunteers work to renovate --- or, in some cases, to rebuild --- the family's home.

Listening to a radio show Tuesday, the host brought up this e-mail from ABC's affiliate relations district representative for the Southeastern U.S. to stations in her area which ended up on The Smoking Gun's Web site, passing along a request from the show's producer/family casting director for their help in finding families to feature next season. The show is especially seeking families with:

--- Extraordinary Mom/Dad recently diagnosed with ALS (a/k/a "Lou Gerhig's Disease")

--- Family who has child w/PROGERIA (aka "Little Old Man's Disease")

--- Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis, referred to as CIPA by the few people who know about it (there are 17 known cases in the US - let me know if one is in your town!) This is where kids cannot feel any physical pain.

--- Muscular Dystrophy Child - Amazing kid who is changing people's views about MD.

--- MADD/Drunk Driving - Family turns tragedy into triumph after losing a child to drunk driving.

--- Family who has multiple children w/Down Syndrome (either adopted or biological).

--- Amazing/loved Mom or Dad diagnosed w/melanoma / skin cancer.

--- Home invasion - family robbed, house messed up (vandalized) - kids fear safety in their home now.

--- Victims of hate crime in their own home. Family's house victim of arson or severely vandalized.

Of course, I understand you've got to find families to spotlight/help somehow. But the tone of some of the items is somewhat creepy (let me know if one is in your town!).