To Cry For (2002)

Editor's note: This story may prompt you to burst spontaneously into uncontrollable sobs. But in a good way.

Seldom does a day go by where Jerry Burns of Garden Grove, Calif., will allow his 6-year-old son, Ben, to walk through the front door alone. Since Ben is at constant risk of breaking a limb — he suffers from a rare brittlebone disease called osteogenesis imperfecta — his daddy carries him instead. Today, however, Ben is going to enter the house by himself — so he can see the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition team's handiwork. ''I'm about to explode!'' Ben exclaims, as host Ty Pennington and a camera crew follow the family inside. ''Ty, you cry. I'm too excited to cry!''

The hit series, in which needy families are given free home makeovers, brings tears of joy to ABC: Home, averaging 15.6 million viewers, is network TV's third-highest-rated reality show and the only one to show growth this season (it's up 41 percent over last year!). It's also one of the few unscripted programs that can trigger a genuine emotion — other than disgust. Admits ABC exec VP Andrea Wong, ''I cry every time I watch a cut.''

Consider the episode featuring a 22-year-old quadriplegic who gets an in-house elevator. Or the one where a poor, flood-damaged neighborhood is treated to landscaping and wrought iron fences. And let's not forget the episode airing Sunday, Nov. 28, at 8 p.m., in which Ben Burns' home is rebuilt to suit his condition, with soft cork floors, handrails, and curved corners. Home Edition carpenter Paul DiMeo chokes up just thinking about what he and 75-plus volunteers did for the Burns family: ''It's an emotional show.''

And a popular one: Home receives 1,000 applications a day—— for only 23 openings per season. Among the future recipients: a single mom who was ripped off by a contractor who fled with her money, and deaf parents with a blind, autistic 12-year-old son. (The latter family's story was so moving, ABC will air it as a two-hour episode during November sweeps.) ''We know we're not going to change the world,'' says exec producer Tom Forman. ''But a good home renovation . . . that we can do.''

Back in Garden Grove, the Extreme crew trails Ben, waiting to see what he'll marvel at next. Will it be the new porch? The flat-screen TV that drops from the ceiling? Ben holds his hand to his chest and takes a deep breath. ''Oh, man,'' he says. ''I love this house.'' Aw, nuts — does anybody have a tissue?

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