American Red Cross Arizona Blood Region welcomes “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” team. This week, the cast and crew of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” traveled to Tucson, AZ to tell 14-year-old Lizzie Bell and her parents that their home would be rebuilt. Lizzie, who was born with a rare condition that requires her to receive blood transfusions every few weeks, has made it her mission to raise awareness about the ongoing need for blood.

To recognize the young girl and her courageous battle, the American Red Cross is dedicating many blood drives across the country (including our Portland and Vancouver centers) on Saturday, January 31 in Lizzie’s honor. While the blood collected on this day will not go directly to Lizzie, it may help save the lives of thousands of patients.

The “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” episode featuring Lizzie with footage at various Red Cross blood drives from the Arizona Region and other areas is scheduled to air Sunday, March 22, 2009 on the ABC television network.

Okay, now I know that if I don’t include a picture of Ty Pennington, I’ll never hear the end of it.