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thedrifter
11-06-07, 06:05 AM
MARINE VET GETS HOME MAKEOVER

By MATT KELSEY, Kansan Editor

Daniel Gilyeat doesn’t remember how many times he’s broken his leg. His prosthetic leg, that is.

The 35-year-old father of four is a martial artist and an extreme sports junkie. But the fact that he lost his left leg in 2003 serving for the U.S. Marines during one of his two tours of duty in Iraq hasn’t slowed him down from taking part in strenuous activities.

But the prosthetic legs he’s used in the past weren’t built to take that kind of punishment - so he kept breaking them and breaking them, until his prosthetics provider finally came up with a better design.

After Gilyeat returned from Iraq, his prosthetic leg wasn’t the only thing that kept breaking. Gilyeat’s small house, near 65th Terrace and Leavenworth Road, fell into a state of disrepair during his time in Iraq, and the home became a problem and an obstacle for Gilyeat - who when not wearing a prosthetic leg depends on a wheelchair - and his children.

At least, that was the situation before ABC stepped in. Producers for the television network’s popular show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” chose Gilyeat’s house for a makeover, and the process started Saturday to give the Gilyeat family a new house.

Even though the word is in the title of the show, “makeover” may be a bit of an understatement. Gilyeat’s home was torn to the ground on Monday, and a new home will be built in its place this week.

On Saturday, show host Ty Pennington and the Extreme Makeover crew came to KCK and the Gilyeat house for the show’s well-known opening segment, where Pennington uses his trademark bullhorn to bring the family out of the house.

After filming a few other scenes on Saturday, the Gilyeats were shipped off for a week-long vacation. Then, on Sunday, final prep work and the removal of the family’s possessions was completed, and on Monday afternoon, over the course of just a few hours, the house was torn down.



Hundreds of volunteers will assist crews from Kevin Green Homes, a Parkville, Mo.-based construction company that is building the home. The company also built the other two “Extreme Makeover” projects in the Kansas City area.

Green, who was on site Saturday, told the Kansan that the project was being called “Operation Dotte,” in reference to the nickname Wyandotte County residents sometimes use to describe themselves.

“The energy and the passion of Kansas City, Kan., has been unbelievable,” Green said. “It’s wonderful to come to a community like this. People get involved in their city here, and it really creates pride in the community.”

Green said he’s been touched by each of the home makeovers his company has done in the area, but he says Gilyeat’s military history makes this one particularly special.

“The emotions change because of the different family stories,” Green said, “but it’s the same energy and the same passion about making a difference in the community and in a family’s life.”

Gilyeat received his injury when the truck he was riding in on July 3, 2003 ran over a landmine.

“Dan and I were in the same unit when he was injured,” said Benjamin Birnbaum, who was present Monday during the home demolition. “We ran over two anti-tank mines. Almost the whole part of our Humvee was missing. I remember that he died twice in the helicopter before he got the hospital.”

After his recovery, Gilyeat spent time visiting and inspiring other wounded soldiers in military hospitals.

“This is an amazing family,” said Paige Hemmis, an on-air personality and carpenter for “Extreme Makeover.” “This dad is just the salt of the earth. This man is what every person should strive to be.”

In addition to Daniel, the Gilyeat family consists of his four children: daughters Alexis, 9, and Victoria, 8, and sons Danny, 6, and Nicholas, 4.

Local officials have made visits to the site over the past few days. Unified Government Mayor/CEO Joe Reardon told the Kansan that the makeover is good for the neighborhood and the county as a whole.

“It’s absolutely wonderful,” he said. “It’s wonderful for such a deserving family and such a great citizen of our community.

“This is something that brings our community together. It’s what Wyandotte County’s all about. Neighbors helping neighbors; friends helping friends. It’s the kind of thing we do all the time, but here we get to do it on a grand scale.”

Volunteers are still being accepted at the construction site. To sign up, visit the check-in tent located in the parking lot at 6000 Leavenworth Road. A shuttle bus takes volunteers from the lot to the build site.

Spectators can also visit the site, but they must use a different shuttle bus. The spectator bus leaves from Kansas City Kansas Community College, located at 7250 State Avenue. These shuttles will be running from 7:30 a.m. until 10:30 p.m. every day through Friday, and then on Saturday, when the finished home will be revealed to the family, the shuttles will run from 7:30 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Two Web sites include updated information about the project: the UG’s Web site, at www.wycokck.org; and the Kevin Green Homes site at www.kevingreenhomes.com.

Kansan reporter Sam Hartle contributed to this report.

Watch the Kansan all week for updates from the ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ site.

Ellie

thedrifter
11-06-07, 06:51 AM
Posted on Mon, Nov. 05, 2007 <br />
Marines to help fellow warrior's house get makeover <br />
By DAWN BORMANN <br />
The Kansas City Star <br />
<br />
Even as a bloodied Daniel Gilyeat waited for a medical helicopter to...