On July 10, “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” traveled to Lancaster, Texas, to meet Carlton Marshall, who lost most of his mobility and all of his hearing after being shot while leading a Dallas Police Department SWAT team.  Carlton and his wife Susan, a homicide detective, will have a new home rebuilt for them in seven days by Extreme Makeover and the Cheldan Homes team, led by Joey Goss.  The new home will solve rampant structural and accessibility issues and also enable the Marshalls to continue their long-time volunteer work with a horseback riding therapy program for children and adults with mental and physical challenges.

        About two years ago, Carlton was shot in the neck while serving a narcotics search warrant.  Severe spinal cord damage was immediate, followed by hearing loss and a stroke. Today, rehabilitation has restored some of Carlton’s mobility but he is still primarily confined to a wheelchair. Health issues also affect the Marshalls’s young daughter Jessica, who began having seizures about a month after Carlton was so severely wounded.

        The Marshall family, which also includes a young son Joseph, must cope with these health problems in a house where snakes have infested the walls, attic, wiring and plumbing. Furthermore, the foundation of the house is sinking, and the septic system backs up on their lawn.

        Despite their myriad of difficulties, Carlton and Susan’s big hearts remain open to others as supporters of the nonprofit program TROT, Therapeutic Riding of Texas. The Marshalls hope to modify their horse barn and stables to host TROT sessions, which would also be helpful to Carlton.

        While Cheldan Homes, the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition team, and hundreds of workers and volunteers rebuild the Marshall home, the family will go on vacation to Disneyland.