Extreme Home Makeover comes to Elma

ELMA, N.Y. (WIVB) - Over a hundred volunteers turned out on Blossom Road in Elma Friday night to kick off an Extreme Home Makeover for a man recovering from a kidney transplant.

Fifty-one-year-old Norm Reformat is back in the Intensive Care Unit at ECMC after complications from a kidney transplant last month. He is unaware that the volunteers from the Christian Youth Corps will begin transforming his home at 6 a.m. Saturday with supplies from Home Depot and other donors.

Spring Brook Firefighters in Elma closed down Blossom Road for what friends are calling "Operation Storm Norm."

Bill Marshall announced with a megaphone, "Norm Reformat, we love you and we can't wait to do this for you. Our brother Norm has been sick for about three years and what he did in this house was he tore all the drywall out of the ceiling with the intention of redoing this."

But after starting the project, Reformat received a kidney transplant, and couldn't finish. When the plumbing sales rep is out of the hospital, he will find out what his friends and perfect strangers are doing for him.

Melissa Pleac of Creative Interior by Melissa said, "He's the type of guy that goes above and beyond in his work and in his community."

The work will begin just before sunrise, and Marshall said, "There'll be probably 50 people in that house. I've got a project downstairs. We've got to tear out upstairs. There'll be stuff coming out of that window."

Friends describe Reformat as the kind of guy who helps everyone else before taking care of himself, and he needs the help now. The house should be remodeled within about two weeks.

You can keep up with the project on the Christian Youth Corps' website.