UTAH DISASTER KLEENUP HELPS FAMILY MOVE TOWARDS BRIGHTER FUTURE

Fun-loving, Jonah Gomez is like any little boy in the first grade with hopes and dreams of becoming a professional soccer player.  His love of life has not been diminished by the fact that he has blood disorders which have caused him to undergo open-heart surgery. Mom Jessica and younger sister Ellie have made every effort to help Jonah live his life to the fullest.

Despite Jonah’s illness and the fact that Jessica had to give up her airline job to take care of him - the Gomez Family has done their best to soldier on, never losing a love of life and having fun. When Jonah is healthy enough, he is playing on a soccer team and attending games of the Salt Lake Real soccer team, whose players have become his protective friends and supporters.  Although Jonah must take oxygen while he sleeps and is often not able to play outside with the extreme weather in Utah being too hot or too cold, you’d never know it from his joyful demeanor.  He seems like every other kid—excited to play soccer and joke with his sister.

The Gomez Family is beloved in their community, which has rallied around the family to help keep Jonah happy and healthy while also spreading the word about the importance of bone marrow donorship. So far there has been no bone marrow match for Jonah. He faces a tougher challenge than most because he’s of Latin descent and statistically fewer minorities join the National Marrow Donor Program.  Mom Jessica has not only assumed a proactive role in identifying the best treatment options, she’s also been a passionate advocate for bone marrow donation and cord blood donation. She’s passionate about spreading the word about the need for minority bone marrow donorship - a major issue about which most people are not aware. She also initiated the creation of a Sickle Cell Anemia blood support group for other families with children who have this rare blood disease. Jessica’s sister, a high school teacher, wrote and published the children’s book “Robbie The Red Blood Cell” which explains Sickle Cell Anemia. Their dream is to become a 501c3 for “Robbie The Red Blood Cell” and make it a household name for children with Sickle Cell Anemia.

On June 23, 2011, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition traveled to South Jordan, Utah to surprise the Gomez family with the door knock that can change lives. 

The EMHE design team had just seven days to build a brand new home for Jonah and his family, one that is big enough for 3 people and also provides an area for Jonah to practice soccer when the weather prevents him from being able to do so outside.  The Gomez family was whisked away on a dream vacation to Disneyland while “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” team leader Ty Pennington, designers Xzibit, Paige Hemmis, Michael Moloney, Utah Disaster Kleenup and local business Holmes Homes, Inc., as well as community volunteers, rebuilt the structure. The project was completed the week of June 23, 2011 and the episode will air Sunday, October 2, 2011 at 8pm ET on ABC. 

Utah Disaster Kleenup has been providing insurance restoration services in the Utah marketplace since 1974, becoming a DKI Member that year as well. DKI is the exclusive dry down vendor for Season 9 of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.  Founded in 1974, DKI assists insurance carriers, commercial and residential clients with restoring properties damaged by fire, water, wind and mold. 

The Emmy award winning reality program Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, is now in its 9th season.