Maynard Family Gets Home Makeover
New Home Helps Giuntas After Tragic Accident
POSTED: 11:27 am EST February 26,
2008
UPDATED: 12:15 pm EST February 26,
2008
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BOSTON --
A normally quiet neighborhood in Maynard, Mass., is the place to be this week. The area is buzzing with activity and hundreds of people are descending on the area in just to take a look.
Local Family Gets Extreme Home MakeoverIt's lights, camera, action on Elm Court as the ABC reality program "Extreme Makeover, Home Edition," is taping there this week.The show is doing its seven-day tear down and construction of a home for the Giunta family.Streets around the site are blocked off. Security guards in black swat-type uniforms man roadblocks, denying access to anyone without clearance.Spectators are allowed, but they have to report to a satellite location and are shuttled to the site on buses."It's awesome. I've been dying to come down here for a couple of days. I think it's great. We've been taking lots of pictures," said Nancy DelVecchio. She had traveled to Maynard from Marlboro, Mass.Mary Moreau of Concord, Mass., stood in the area that had been roped off spectators."It's amazing what they do in one week," she said.The home on Elm Court is an "Extreme Makeover," for Paul Giunta's family. Giunta was critically injured in an auto accident two years ago. The crash occurred March 26, 2006 as he was driving home with his sons Cameron and Dylan after visiting his wife Renee in the hospital. She had just given birth to their daughter Brianna.The boys were uninjured, but doctors had a grim prognosis for Giunta. They doubted he would ever walk, talk or be able to feed himself after the accident. But the former tri-athlete has made remarkable progress. He's had four surgeries and worked diligently at rehabilitation.The family's home on Elm Court was not handicapped accessible. For the past two years Paul has lived with his parents in a retirement community, apart from his wife and children.Now with the new home the family will all be together."It's just amazing that the town and Extreme Home Makeover have worked so hard to get this to happen," said Jennifer O'Leary, one of the many Maynard residents watching the activity from the spectator area."Extreme Makeover" selected the Giunta family for its home rebuild on the recommendation of Maynard town officials. The reality show has teamed up with Jeanson Homes and Fenton Contracting of Acton, Mass., for the project.More than 500 builders, contractors, and designers along with several hundred volunteers will work 24/7 to complete the home in seven days.Michael Moloney is an interior designer and one of the show's cast members. He has taken a special interest in structuring the home to meet Giunta's needs."There's no place he won't be able to go. There will be no transitions on the floors, wide hallways, plenty of spaces."A very special room that I'm working on personally, will be a therapy room, a place where he can go. He doesn't have to leave and go to the gym. He works out every day because he has this dream. They told me he wouldn't walk, he wouldn't talk and he's done both," he said.The crew tore down the old house Sunday. Construction on the home is expected to be finished by the end of this week."Extreme Makeover" has given the Giunta family a vacation in Disney World this week.They return and move into their new home on Friday.
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Local Family Gets Extreme Home MakeoverIt's lights, camera, action on Elm Court as the ABC reality program "Extreme Makeover, Home Edition," is taping there this week.The show is doing its seven-day tear down and construction of a home for the Giunta family.Streets around the site are blocked off. Security guards in black swat-type uniforms man roadblocks, denying access to anyone without clearance.Spectators are allowed, but they have to report to a satellite location and are shuttled to the site on buses."It's awesome. I've been dying to come down here for a couple of days. I think it's great. We've been taking lots of pictures," said Nancy DelVecchio. She had traveled to Maynard from Marlboro, Mass.Mary Moreau of Concord, Mass., stood in the area that had been roped off spectators."It's amazing what they do in one week," she said.The home on Elm Court is an "Extreme Makeover," for Paul Giunta's family. Giunta was critically injured in an auto accident two years ago. The crash occurred March 26, 2006 as he was driving home with his sons Cameron and Dylan after visiting his wife Renee in the hospital. She had just given birth to their daughter Brianna.The boys were uninjured, but doctors had a grim prognosis for Giunta. They doubted he would ever walk, talk or be able to feed himself after the accident. But the former tri-athlete has made remarkable progress. He's had four surgeries and worked diligently at rehabilitation.The family's home on Elm Court was not handicapped accessible. For the past two years Paul has lived with his parents in a retirement community, apart from his wife and children.Now with the new home the family will all be together."It's just amazing that the town and Extreme Home Makeover have worked so hard to get this to happen," said Jennifer O'Leary, one of the many Maynard residents watching the activity from the spectator area."Extreme Makeover" selected the Giunta family for its home rebuild on the recommendation of Maynard town officials. The reality show has teamed up with Jeanson Homes and Fenton Contracting of Acton, Mass., for the project.More than 500 builders, contractors, and designers along with several hundred volunteers will work 24/7 to complete the home in seven days.Michael Moloney is an interior designer and one of the show's cast members. He has taken a special interest in structuring the home to meet Giunta's needs."There's no place he won't be able to go. There will be no transitions on the floors, wide hallways, plenty of spaces."A very special room that I'm working on personally, will be a therapy room, a place where he can go. He doesn't have to leave and go to the gym. He works out every day because he has this dream. They told me he wouldn't walk, he wouldn't talk and he's done both," he said.The crew tore down the old house Sunday. Construction on the home is expected to be finished by the end of this week."Extreme Makeover" has given the Giunta family a vacation in Disney World this week.They return and move into their new home on Friday.Copyright 2008 by TheBostonChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
