This Single Mother Ended Up Losing Her Home After Winning An Extreme Home Makeover
We all dream of the home we will one day own. For some people, this might be a traditional home with a white picket fence, and a large green lawn, for others, it might be an apartment in an urban metropolis. One single mom in Michigan had always dreamed of having a home that had a bedroom for each child, new appliances to cook nutritious meals on, and a well-kept yard for all of her children to play in. It seemed like she would never be able to get this home, as finding money for everyday necessities like a mortgage and medical bills always came first. Then, she was nominated to be on a reality television show called Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
Meet Arlene
Arlene Nickless had not had an easy life. She and her husband Tim had raised three wonderful children together, and it seemed that they were leading a charmed life. Then, tragedy struck, and Tim passed away suddenly.
Arlene and Tim had been together for the last 18 years, and his passing left a hole in the family that would be very hard to fill. Arlene did not know what to do or where to turn during this time. All she knew was that she had to keep her little family afloat.
Months Go By
As a family that had been used to having a dual income, Arlene began to struggle financially. She had a 3,200 square foot house to maintain and a big mortgage to pay off. If Arlene and her family were going to stay in their home, she would have to take on more debt than she already had.
In addition to the mortgage, she also had several medical bills from her husband’s prolonged illness that she had yet to pay off. Arlene had no idea how to find the money to pay for all of these things and continue to feed and clothe her children.
Tim’s Illness
Tim’s passing may have been sudden, but he had tried to fight off his illness for a long time. Arlene had worked as a nurse her entire life and knew how to care for her husband.
Tim’s illness was something that had been contracted from some medical equipment that had not been sterilized. Arlene had hoped that with the best treatment they could afford, it would allow him to live much longer than the seven years he got. Sadly, this was not the case, and Tim passed away. How was Arlene going to cover all of the mounting bills?
The Chosen One
Arlene’s financial struggles did not go unnoticed, though. Her neighbors saw that she was struggling and wanted to do whatever was in their power to help. Everyone had seen the ABC program Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and the magic that the producers brought to peoples’ lives.
They believed that Arlene and her family were the perfect family for the show, and began to circulate a petition to get her on the show. When the producers of the show read about Arlene and the difficulties her family had faced, they knew they had found their next deserving family for the program.