[Missouri-l] Extreme homemakeover

[Linda Coccovizzo]

Hi all.  I am sending this out this way, because I believe I have a lot of MCB friends who would be willing to help.  I have sent my family's story into extreme homemakeover.  It's a slim chance, but I think the girls especially could really benefit from the makeover if it actually happened.  I am posting the article that tells how to send in nominations, and I am going to paste our story in after that.  If those of you who know my family would post a nomination, only if it is in your heart to do so, that would be great.  Don't worry, I won't be hurt if you don't or can't.  I probably won't know one way or the other.
(smile)  I'm just hoping something really neat like this would happen for us.
Linda C.


seeking family, home in Springfield area
April 16, 2009
ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" is looking for a deserving family in the Springfield
area to feature on the television show.
"We are looking for the deserving people and inspiring families that America can
really root for," said casting supervisor Morgan Fahey in a news release.
The show is looking for people who have "amazing strength of character and never
give up," the release said. "We want to help people whose stories have really affected
their community or made a big difference in other people's lives."
Producers are looking for families whose homes desperately need to be rebuilt. "We
really want to help families whose homes present major problems for the family, those
big issues that affect the family's quality of life on a daily basis. We want to
find deserving people who just don't have the resources, ability, or time to fix
those serious issues without our help," the release said.
To be eligible, a family must own their own single family home and be able to show
producers how a makeover will make a difference in their lives.
Interested families should e-mail a short description of their family story to
CastingMissouri at gmail.com
.
Nominations may be submitted by the family or by a member of their community. Each
nomination must include the names and ages of every member of the household along
with a description of the major challenges within the home. Anyone submitting a nomination
should be sure to explain why the nominated family is deserving, heroic, and/or a
role model for their community. If possible, include a recent photo of the family.
All nominations must include a contact phone number.
The deadline for nominations is May 1.
"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" is in its sixth season on ABC. Camp Barnabas in
Purdy was featured on the show in 2005. A new home was built for camp founders and
directors Cyndy and Paul Teas, as well as buildings for the camp for disabled children
and young adults.

Our Story

 My name is Linda Coccovizzo, and I would like to tell my family's Story.  We own a house just north of Springfield, MO.  Our phone number is:
417-429-0697
I am 35 years old, and my husband John is twenty-nine.  We are parents to two beautiful little girls, Sarah and Terra.  Sarah is six-years old, and Terra is three.  They will both have a birthday on the 31st of May.

I have been blind all my life, but until I had children, I never knew why.  At five-months of age, my oldest daughter Sarah was diagnosed with Leber's Congenital Amaurosis (LCA.)  She is also blind.  When Sarah was two, I became pregnant with her sister Terra.  I knew Sarah needed a sibbling -- a companion.  There is a 50% chance that my children will have LCA, and Terra does.  Both of my girls and I are completely blind.

In September 2006 my husband John and I bought a house just north of SppringfieldIt needs quite a lot of work, and we have very slowly tried to make repares as We can.  we have an acre and a half of land.  John is a self-employed computer tech, and currently attends school at Ozark's Technical College.  He and the girls have an unbreakable bond.

Unfortunately, with his work and school, he isn't able to do near as much out here with the house and land as he would like.  We are very strapped financially and don't have the means to do a lot of the things we would like to do especially to make this a really blind-friendly place for the girls.  It seems like something is always going wrong, and I am always adding to John's list of things for him to do.  The poor guy is often overwhelmed and frustrated.  I know it kills him to see the girls miss out on some of their childhood out here, because he just can't do what he wants to do with the place.  He has really, really been trying.

Right now I am a stay-at-home mom, and I find it difficult to come up with ways to entertain the girls.  As they get older, I have to get more and more creative.  I fear my inabbility to get out into the community with them is holding them back.  I am constantly working to get the girls involved in school, and programs locally, especially in the summer, when there is so much down-time.  It is very difficult to find transportation to take the girls to activities though.  I have searched the stores and internet for toys that will give them the most stimulation, and entertainment, but sometimes it just doesn't seem to be enough.  We would really love for them to have a playhouse outside, but we just can't afford it right now.  I so much want to let them run freely outside here, but I get paniced some when they get too far away, and I cannot hear where they are.  They very much enjoy life, and really there is no limit to what they can do if given the chance.  I would give anything to give them a safe, fun place to play freely and just be kids.  They can only occupy themselves so much in the house, and with a lack of fencing in our large yard, and so much open area for them to wonder off into, I have to limit their outside time.  It breaks my heart, because I feel like I am taking so much away from them.  By the time we can afford to build this place up for them, I'm afraid they will be really too old to enjoy it.

When the girls are in school, I spend my free time working on projects for the Missouri Council of the Blind.  I am currently secretary, which keeps me busy, as well as working with various committees in the organization.  We are getting ready for a youth conference this summer, and I have truly enjoyed working on that project.  Someday my girls will be ready to be a part of the blind community, and I truly do consider their future when I work on these projects.  I also take quite a few phone calls from people in and around the community as well, asking about services for the blind.  I love to help others where I can, especially those parents dealing with the realization their child is blind, or the elderly who call me who are losing their sight, and need to find products that will help them once again read the newspaper.  If I can bring someone hope and encouragement, even just a little, then I have accomplished what I set out to do.

I haven't been able to find a picture of our family that I can send, and have been trying to find someone to take one of the four of us.  Maybe if I can get that done before Friday, I will send it but I wanted to get our story in before the deadline.  I truly hope our family will be considered, but I have no doubt in my mind there are others out there in as much, if not more, need than we are.

Sincerely,

Linda Coccovizzo
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