Meet Amanda and Derrick Suggs, a young couple who had just started their own family when they adopted Amanda’s younger siblings to prevent them from being separated in foster care.
 
When Derrick and Amanda got married, they moved into the home Derrick inherited from his grandfather. Built by his grandfather in 1953, the home came with a long list of repairs required to make it livable: a leaking roof, outdated and exposed electrical wiring, rotting foundation, and broken and cracked asbestos siding on the outside of the house.  In just seven days, team leader Ty Pennington, the design team, and the entire community will build a safer, stronger home that will protect and support this incredible family.

At a very young age, Amanda was forced to take on the role of a mother figure for her siblings.  Her parents’ physical neglect often left the children alone for weeks at a time. In addition, Amanda’s father was constantly moving the family around the country in search of construction work; pulling the children in-and-out of school so frequently they would often not even enroll.
 
Between missing school and caring for her siblings, Amanda fell so far behind that she dropped out of school after the seventh grade. At 16, Amanda reached out to her aunt for help and she agreed to take care of Amanda and the two oldest boys. Living with her aunt helped Amanda get her life back on track and within three months, she received her GED and began community college classes.  
 
When she turned 18, Amanda moved to Myrtle Beach to continue her college education. When she met Derrick, they instantly fell in love, were married, and soon welcomed their first born, Walker.  Shortly thereafter, Amanda’s brother Jacob informed her that he and his younger brothers were being taken away from their parents and placed in foster care.  Without hesitation, Derrick and Amanda brought the boys to live with them. James, Jacob, and Jordan had nothing but the clothes on their backs when they arrived, but with the love and support of Amanda and Derrick, they caught up with their academics and are all on pace to graduate on time.
 
In addition to taking on the role of dad, big brother, and friend to the boys, Derrick created a community outreach team within his police squad to help clean up the high crime areas of his district.  He also set up various youth activities such as “Shop with a Cop,” which takes underprivileged youth out to buy toys and clothes.
 
Last year, Derrick and his partner saved the life of an infant who had stopped breathing while his mother was driving down the highway and were nominated for “Officers of the Year.” Derrick’s efforts have improved the image of the police department and revitalized the relationship between the police and the community.
 
Derrick, 28, and Amanda, 26, have given every bit of themselves to their children (James, 19, Jacob, 17, Jordan, 10, Walker, 5, and Mason, 9 months), their community, and their careers, but they still lack the time and money to fix their home.  Now, it’s up to the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” team and hundreds of local volunteers build a brand new home for this family who came together to turn their lives around in the face of adversity.