Ty Pennington of 'Extreme Makeover' opens up about his mom's illness
Ty Pennington of 'Extreme Makeover' opens up about his mom's illness
Madeline Mitchell, USA TODAYThu, May 14, 2026 at 10:03 AM UTC
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Former "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" host Ty Pennington spent his career helping family caregivers. Now, he's a caregiver for his mother.
The show, which spanned nearly a decade on ABC, highlighted families facing disabilities, cancer and other hardships. Pennington renovated these families' homes, often with their care needs in mind.
Ty Pennington is best known for hosting "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." He currently stars in a reality television show on HGTV, "Rock the Block."
He had to think in the same way when he built a house in Florida for his own mother, who has bronchiectasis, a chronic lung condition that causes persistent coughing and infections. Pennington minimized the number of stairs and put ramps in to make the home accessible, he said.
Now, he stars in HGTV's "Rock the Block," a reality renovation show. But he remains a caregiver for his mom, 83-year-old Yvonne Pennington, and lives with her in Florida. By talking more about his caregiving journey and his mother's condition, he said, he hopes others will feel less alone.
Ty Pennington, of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" fame, and his mother, Yvonne Pennington.
"You can't ever really be ready for it," Pennington told USA TODAY about caregiving. "It's funny how we flip roles. I didn't think I would ever be in that situation, but at some point, you know, you start looking after your parents the same way they looked after you."
'The next thing you know, you become a caregiver.'
Pennington said his mother has dealt with respiratory troubles his whole life. He remembers signs in his childhood home that said, "Caution: Lungs at work," and having to vacuum the walls to keep dust in the home to a minimum. As her condition worsened over the years, he realized she needed more of his help.
"The next thing you know, you become a caregiver," he said. "As they change, your life changes."
Ty Pennington said his mother's respiratory issues have been present his whole life.
For many years, Pennington said his mother's condition went undiagnosed. But when doctors confirmed she had bronchiectasis 20 years ago, it helped improve her quality of life moving forward. Pennington said he now looks at lung health the same way he assesses home renovations.
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"If there's something wrong with your house, you don't just paint over it," he said. "You look behind the walls, you check out the foundation and you also seek an expert to tell you what's really going on."
His mother is "one of the most resilient people" he knows, Pennington said, and also one of the funniest. But her condition, which causes severe coughing fits, has made it hard for her to do the thing she loves most: laugh. And it's limited their ability to go to restaurants together, on vacations or on long walks.
"You want them to be able to laugh and not have to go into a coughing fit when they do it," he said.
Ty Pennington and his mother, Yvonne Pennington, live together in a house Ty Pennington built in Florida.
Still, Pennington said he has a lot of fun spending time with his mom and caring for her. His family is always telling stories and listening to jazz music together.
"I think having a really relaxing environment is key," he said.
Home renovations for seniors
Pennington offered tips for caregivers when thinking about home renovations or looking at new living accommodations for their aging loved ones.
Install ramps. Creaky joints are inevitable, Pennington said. Ramps help keep homes accessible.
Limit the number of stairs, or install a chair lift. He installed a chair lift for his mother years ago when she lived in a different home.
Maximize natural light. "Humans are a lot like plants," Pennington said. "I think the more we see the light, the happier our life is."
Madeline Mitchell's role covering women and the caregiving economy at USA TODAY is supported by a partnership with Pivotal and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input.
Reach Madeline at memitchell@usatoday.com and @maddiemitch_ on X.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ty Pennington, 'Extreme Makeover' and his mom's illness
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