Even before the two-hour season finale of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” aired on May 20, 2007, the Oatman-Gaitan family’s new 3,700-square-foot home in Schenectady, N.Y., was already insured by Harleysville—free of charge for the next year.

The family of five was the fifth Harleysville has helped since establishing a connection to the ABC series in 2006.

“I was overwhelmed with gratitude,” says Debbie Oatman-Gaitan. “My children and I have received so much in the last two months, and then on top of it all, Harleysville was so generous in giving us a year’s worth of free insurance. It was just such a blessing!”

Finding a home

A single mother, Oatman-Gaitan began her family in 1990 when she adopted son D.J., who was born HIV positive with fetal alcohol syndrome and other medical conditions stemming from his biological mother's cocaine use.

“When I met D.J., he was living at a transitional facility where I worked,” Oatman-Gaitan recalls. “The children there were born infected with HIV or similar medical problems. At the time, I never intended to adopt any children, but D.J. needed a home—and things evolved to a point where I had the privilege of adopting him when he was almost three years old.”

D.J., now 20, was later joined by two more adopted brothers Kevin, 16, and his brother, Brian, 15, who also was born HIV positive. Oatman-Gaitan’s own biological 10-year-old son, Scout, rounds out the family.

“The most rewarding part of raising my four sons has been watching them grow into young men,” Oatman-Gaitan observes. “The miracle of medicine amazes me. I have two adopted children with a medical condition (HIV) that was once considered to be terminal, but now, with new drugs and treatments, we have a great outcome.”

A visit to the family

Dave Hofmann, assistant vice president of personal lines marketing, and agent Bob MacChesney, president of Nicoll & MacChesney, Inc. of Troy, N.Y., were among the Harleysville contingent who visited Oatman-Gaitan recently to present her with the free insurance policy.

“Debbie’s story is a true inspiration,” says Dave. “I enjoyed meeting her—and I was proud Harleysville could provide the “Debbie’s story is a true inspiration,” says Hofmann. “I enjoyed meeting her—and I was proud Harleysville could provide the insurance for this beautiful new home.”

“I’m thrilled to be associated with this project,” adds MacChesney. “It’s nice to see a company reach out to help someone who has had the problems Debbie has had. It’s also great to see a nice new home being built in our community.”

The new “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” home of Debbie Oatman-Gaitan and her four sons in Schenectady, N.Y.

Two illustrated runners appear to be on fire and sprinting past Dave Hofmann in the track-themed bedroom of 16-year-old Kevin Oatman-Gaitan, a member of his high school track team.

Oatman-Gaitan sits in the study of her new home, in front of a laptop computer also donated to her through the show. The room is designed specifically as a quiet place for her to study.