On May 22, 2011, a catastrophic EF5 tornado ravaged the town of Joplin, killing approximately 160 people and destroying nearly 8,000 homes. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition built seven homes for seven families that lost their homes in the storm. Centiva provided the floor design and materials for The Whitely family.

Crystal Whitely was a single mom taking care of her three kids and working as a personal care aid. The night of the storm, the whole family took cover in the bathtub, but moments later the house was pulled off its foundation. Though she tried desperately to hang on to them, her 10-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son were ripped from her arms. Only Crystal and her 4-year-old daughter, Keana, survived.

 As The Extreme Makeover team worked on the rest of the house, the one room they wanted to make sure to get right was Keana’s room. She had been through enough and they wanted something special for her. After much consideration, they decided on a princess theme for her room. Disney garden and ballroom scenes, lush drapes, personalized murals, dramatic chandeliers, and plenty of pink is what the design team had in mind. They also needed to find a durable floor that could be designed, cut, and personalized as they envisioned. In came Centiva.

Centiva is a resilient tile and plank line that provides cutting and design services. First products and colors were chosen from the Centiva Victory Series. Once products and colors were selected their design team worked with Extreme Makeover on customizing a Harlequin floor with “K” (for Keana) insets within the pattern, adding personalization.

“Centiva was honored to be selected by Extreme Makeover for this high-profile project” stated Erin Dempsey, public relations for Centiva. “However, we are even more excited that we could help put a smile on Keana’s face and help her family in such a tragic time.”

Visitabc.go.com/watch/extreme-makeover-home-edition/SH559052/VD55163134/joplin-family-part-2to view the entire episode.