The Jordan Family – Aired April 24, 2009

The Jordan Family
Montgomery, AL

Brady Jordan, Dad

Monica Jordan, Mom

Brittany (Age 23) – Daughter. Wants to be a pediatrician

Miles (Age 15) – Son/Grandson. Wants to be a professional basketball player, but has a backup plan to become an engineer. Miles’ mother was killed by her fiancée, during domestic violence. He then turned the gun on himself.

Shaun (Age 14) Daughter/Granddaughter. She is interested in poetry.

Tay Tay (Age 11) Son/Grandson. He is interested in Earth Science. Tay Tay was only 5-yrs old when his father, William, was killed in a car accident caused by a drunk driver. Shaun and Tay Tay are brother and sister.

Brady and Monica Jordan had three children. They had raised them, and each were becoming successful in their own right.

Their oldest daughter joined the military in order to afford college, and was going off to boot camp shortly. She wanted to become a lawyer, and practice law with her mother as a partner. Then tragedy struck. No one knows exactly why, but her fiancé took her off to “talk” to her, and shot and killed her instead. He then called the police to confess, and shot and killed himself. This left a small child, Miles, without his mother.

The Jordan’s also had an older son, named William. William had two children: Shaun and Tay Tay. One night, William was killed in a car crash, caused by a drunk driver.

Instead of just letting someone else be responsible for their grandchildren, Monica and Brady welcomed them into their lives, and gave them a healthy and stable home. These children will grow up with values that they might not otherwise have because of the influences of their grandparents. They are growing up calling their grandparents “mom and dad.” Under these circumstances, that is such a healthy thing. I thought this was such a special family, because they were so committed to each other. They remind me of my own family.

My father died, at age 34, from lung cancer. I was only 9 years old. My grandparents took us into their home for a whole year. We lived with them, while my mother settled things. Then, they continued to help out for the rest of our childhood, young adult and adult lives. It’s interesting: They were retired. They were on a fixed income. They had their retirement years planned. And yet, they were there to help us within hours of my father’s death, even though they lived on the other side of the state. They put aside their "plans" and made our lives part of theirs. I’ve asked my grandmother about this, and her answer was, “We never thought about it. It was just the only thing to do. We are a family.”

I believe the Jordan Family is that kind of family. It was the only option. They are a family. I love that Extreme Makeover Home Edition helped out this family.

Design Team:
Ty Pennington – Brady and Monica’s Master Bedroom. Special Project: Unique “Helping Hands” Photos all around the room, inspired by Monica grasping Ty’s hand when she first met him, and not letting go.
Paul DiMeo – Miles “Basketball” room and Tay Tay’s “Earth Science” room
Tracy Hutson – Brittany’s “Study and Medical” room and Shaun’s “Poetry” Room
Eduardo Xol – House and Landscape Design.

Monica speaks out against domestic violence and drunk driving. She is very active with speaking engagements at churches and schools. She makes a difference in her community.

M.A.D.D. (Mother’s Against Drunk Driving) and Tracy Hutson did an exhibit of crashed cars in front of Biscuit (Riverwalk) Stadium for William.

Paul DiMeo helped with an exhibit of cut out portraits of victims of domestic violence at the campus of Auburn University, Montgomery, AL.

Auburn University, gave Monica and each of her children a full scholarship to get her law degree, and for them to go on to college.

The Home Builders paid off the Jordan family’s mortgage, so that they would not have to worry about that. (Pretty cool!)

This all helps ensure that this family will have a hopeful future.

“When you choose to get into a car and drive, after you drink. That is an act of violence. When you choose to take the life of another, in any fashion. That is an act of violence.
I will continue to speak out against acts of violence.” Monica Jordan