- On the Sunday, November 30, episode of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, the Nickless family received a new home and an all-new 2009 Ford Flex.
- The Ford Flex has an airplane mural on the roof – a loving tribute to Tim Nickless, who died in January following a long, painful illness, leaving behind a wife and three young boys.
| DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 1, 2008 – On Sunday’s episode of the hit ABC show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, the Nickless family, of Holt, Mich., received a brand new home and an all-new 2009 Ford Flex. But for this particular family, the vehicle is more than a much-needed means of transportation. It is a loving tribute to a devoted husband and father. |  |
Tim Nickless was a critical care nurse who spent his life taking care of others. Seven years ago, he was diagnosed with Hepatitis C. After a long and painful battle, Tim died in January at the age of 48, leaving behind a devastated wife and three children.
Arlene Nickless and her three boys – Aaron, 12, Noah, 9, and Andrew, 8 – were living in a 148-year-old farmhouse badly in need of repairs, and the family car -- an eight-year-old minivan with 187,000 miles on it -- was going downhill fast.
“I paid the car off with my husband’s life insurance, and I had to pay $2000 more in repairs,” said Arlene. “But it was still not in the best of shape.”
After Ty Pennington and the rest of the team at Extreme Makeover: Home Edition “moved the bus” and the Nickless family toured their new home, Arlene and her children were stunned to see a brand new Ford Flex pull up into the driveway. They were brought to tears, however, when they saw the airplane mural on the roof of the vehicle.
“Tim loved airplanes. He was a real fanatic,” said Arlene, choking back tears. “It meant an awful lot.”
According to Arlene, Tim’s fascination with airplanes began when he was a child. He loved building model airplanes, and he always dreamed of becoming a pilot. He was also a member of the Lansing Area Flying Aces, a group of model plane enthusiasts who specialize in control line flying.
“Airplanes have always been a big part of our family. It was who Tim was,” Arlene explained. “A big part of the closeness he had with the boys was building model airplanes and having that hobby together.”
To honor Tim’s memory, Ford asked renowned graffiti artist, illustrator and toy designer, Tristan Eaton, to paint an airplane mural for the roof of the Flex.
“We looked at all the airplanes that he had hanging around the house, and we used that as inspiration for Tristan to create the artwork for the lid of the vehicle,” said Kim McInerney, manager, Ford Events and Alliances. “We were so pleased to do this for this very special family.”
Arlene says the mural-clad Flex is a constant reminder of the man she and her children love and miss so much.
“It’s not just a new car. It’s a car that will always remind us of Tim and how much he cared about us,” she said.
From a functional perspective, the Ford Flex is an ideal vehicle for the Nickless family, says McInerney.
“Not only does it provide surprising space and comfort for up to seven people, with wide, roomy seats and best-in-class head room and leg room in all three rows, but it ranks at the top of its class with fuel economy,” she said. “And it comes standard with six airbags, a Safety Canopy System® and Advance Trac® with RSC® (Roll Stability Control).”
Arlene says the comfort she feels in her new Ford Flex goes well beyond the vehicle’s many built-in features.
“It’s like a feeling of protection being in the car because the airplanes on the roof are a part of Tim,” she said. “It’s very special.”
The Cinnamon color of the Flex also has special meaning to the Nickless family.
“Tim was a big cinnamon person,” Arlene explained. “He would always make us cinnamon toast bread where he would butter bread, sprinkle it with cinnamon sugar and put it in the oven. So that’s kind of special too.”
Arlene says she and the boys get a lot of attention when they are out in their new Flex.
“Everywhere I go I get somebody asking me, ‘What kind of a car is that?’” she said. “And then they stretch to see what’s up on the roof.”
If Tim was here, says Arlene, he would be thrilled with the customized Flex.
“He would have been ecstatic,” she said. “It would’ve meant a great deal to him. He would’ve loved it, and he would’ve been so proud to drive it.”
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About Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, which has won back-to-back Emmy Awards as Best Reality Program (non-competitive), is entering its sixth season on ABC. The program is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. Anthony Dominici is the executive producer, and David Goldberg is the president of Endemol USA.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 224,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company's core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo and Mazda. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.