Introducing the Skaggs Family from Lexington, Oklahoma
Brian, Audra, Merit, and Jhett
Meet Brian and Audra Skaggs, whose son Jhett survived a heart transplant at just 10-months-old. Although he's made incredible progress over the past two years, the poor condition of the family's moldy and rotting home poses serious risks to Jhett's weakened immune system. In seven days, Ideal Homes, team leader Ty Pennington, the design team, celebrity guest designer Jillian Harris of ABC’s "The Bachelorette," and an entire community will build a safe and healthy home for Jhett, 2, his sister Merit, 5, and his parents that will allow the family to focus on each other instead of their deteriorating surroundings.
In 2007, Brian and Audra were blessed with the birth of their second child, Jhett. Later that year, they began to notice that something was very wrong with their infant son. He was very lethargic, constantly crying, losing weight, and stopped breathing on two occasions where Brian and Audra performed CPR and saved his life. After extensive testing, Brian and Audra were told that Jhett needed a heart transplant. Because he was so young and had already suffered multiple cardiac arrests, Jhett's chances of survival were very slim. Miraculously, an organ donor was found and at just 10-months-old, Jhett received a new heart.
Now, two years later, Jhett runs and plays like any two-year-old boy, but he faces a lifetime of treatment. In addition to requiring numerous trips to Houston each month for check-ups, Jhett's daily regimen includes a series of medications and his weakened immune system leaves him very susceptible to mold, germs, and illness. Jhett’s new heart will last for up to 15 years, so Brian, 38, and Audra, 27, are doing what little they can to prepare for another transplant down the road. Unfortunately, Audra's income as a pre-school teacher coupled with Brian's income as a cattle rancher cannot compete with the mounting medical bills and home repairs that threaten the health of their fragile son. Now, it’s up to Ideal Homes, the "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" team and hundreds of local volunteers to build a new home that will allow this family to take care of their son and do their best to prepare for his future.
