Tomorrow marks the second anniversary of the day Dallas Police Lt. Carlton Marshall took a bullet in his neck during a narcotics raid in Oak Cliff. Extreme spinal damage, hearing loss and a stroke still limit Marshall's mobility. To make matters worse, shortly after Marshall's injury, his daughter began suffering from seizures. Coupled with those blows, their home's sinking foundation, a snake infestation and a sputtering septic tank on the lawn made the four-member Marshall family's existence a made-for-TV tragedy in need of a happy ending.
Enter ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. In blistering July heat Fort Worth-based Cheldan Homes, the cast of EM:HE and some local law-enforcement officers built a 4,080-square foot home for the Marshalls in just six days. That week has been condensed into an hour's worth of television: Sunday night at 7 on WFAA-Channel 8, the Marshalls' new home makes it national debut.
Musician Trace Adkins played celebrity volunteer for the construction. "He worked real hard," Marshall said at this afternoon's press conference at the Dallas Police Department HQ. He then said that during the thick of a sweltering summer, Adkins was encouraged to take a break -- at which point the performer said, "What, do I look tired?"
Marshall still works as an office manager for the South Central Division. He performs multiple tasks, including assistance for detective training issues.
Though he's forced to wear a cochlear implant and often uses a walker, Marshall hopes to graduate to crutches. At the conference, Marshall and his wife, Susan, smiled broadly before cameras and reporters. Score one for television. The teaser for Sunday night's episode is below.
