[music playing]
KAREN: I'm Karen.
I'm a first-grade teacher.
I always have children's best interests in my heart.
I would hope none of them go home to a house like this.
I'm Tonya, Karen's daughter.
My mother hoards anything and everything--
junk, trash, documents, papers.
Things everywhere.
I'm Jared, and Karen is my mom.
Her house is like an "I Spy" book,
whatever you can think of.
You might find a spatula in the coat closet.
It's just random.
I am Catherine, and Karen's my mom.
She loves yard sales and estate sales.
That's her crack.
KAREN: I also have a problem with thrift stores.
CATHERINE: Part of it is, like, her getting a bargain.
The other part of it is the high of actually
getting something else.
Well, hi, Karen.
I found treasures.
Oh, wonderful.
CATHERINE: Absolutely random crap.
When my dad was there, it was a clean house.
KAREN: It was our palace, neat, organized.
But at some point, he decided his plans did not include
a wife and four children.
And right after the divorce, my--
my precious first-born son felt like it was his fault,
and he chose to end his life.
CATHERINE: That's when it got really, really bad.
JARED: We all dealt with my dad leaving and my brother
dying differently.
And hoarding stuff was hers, and it just grew from that.
[music playing]
So, good morning, everyone.
I'm Standolyn Robertson, a certified
professional organizer.
Our goal is to have a safe home for your grandson,
a safe home for you.
How are you doing right now?
My butterflies have butterflies.
I'll be OK.
Let's do it. - Good.
Let's do it.
We're here for you.
Let's do it.
[applause]
KAREN: This can go.
OK, just throw anything that can go right there.
[music playing]
Clock?
That's to keep.
Where will it live?
I have to keep it.
Because of where it was located,
I didn't realize how special it was to her.
It was so precious, yet it was on the front porch.
We're going to surround you with things that you love, OK?
[crying]
OK.
What's happening?
I don't know.
Oh, this hurts.
It does.
This is what I meant about it being hard
and why you've avoided it for so long.
MELVA GREEN: Getting Karen to really feel
these emotions that she's not allowed herself to feel
is really the point.
So have these meltdowns.
Have these moments.
That's why we're here with you.
[sighs]
[music playing]
I'm so happy you're here today.
We have got to step it up.
We've got to step it up.
Thanks for being here.
You're welcome.
This is crazy hard.
You're welcome.
Are you OK?
Are you sure you're OK?
Yeah, I'm good.
OK.
It-- you seem like something's going on.
No, I'm good.
OK.
So we'll keep going.
You're making big decisions.
And trust that it's going to be OK.
[music playing]
Hey there.
Hi.
Did your mom delegate you guys to this area?
No, it's just junk.
To me, this is clearly trash.
OK.
We just don't want you to do this behind her back.
All right.
So we'll just put it all right back where it was.
No, we'll just-- we'll all get her permission,
and then we'll throw it away the right way.
I'm so [muted] over this already.
What's it been, like a [muted] hour?
TONYA: This whole hoarding, I don't
think that it's a condition.
I think it's just as easy as throwing something away.
Permission to throw [muted] trash.
Really?
It's all [muted] trash.
TONYA: It's so frustrating.
Get over it.
Just throw it away.
You can tell this is a very strained relationship, huh?
STANDOLYN ROBERTSON: It is.
This is part of the healing.
OK.
OK?
This is part of the healing.
[music playing]
KAREN: This is my cave.
Mm-hmm.
KAREN: What do you think?
Throw it away and start over.
STANDOLYN ROBERTSON: We have some guidelines the two of us
set up.
So you two spend a minute in here working.
I wanted them to have the time together
to just get in there, bond, deal with it,
and see how it all would work out.
Are you sorry you came?
Yeah, this is horrible.
Pull that dump up to the front door and just
start hauling your [muted] out.
Can you be kind?
This-- would you ever seriously?
Can you be kind?
Let me see you put it on.
I don't want to have this conversation.
For real?
KAREN: [sighs]
I don't know that your daughter Tonya understands
what you're going through.
This is my wall that I protect me.
Karen has built her walls with stuff,
and Tonya has built up a wall of lots of emotions.
You told me that I wasn't a good mother
and that I didn't do it right, and I'm sorry.
I live with this constant fear, and I'm having
a really hard time letting go.
And I'm sorry that I've put you in a position to judge me.
I was sorry I was not the right person for your dad.
I'm sorry I wasn't the right mother for you.
Still shocked you're here.
I'm so glad.
What's happening for you?
Nothing.
I'm glad.
I'm glad that you want to get out of this rut.
This should be a peaceful area, and it's not.
Well, that's my goal.
So now I want to move on.
I hope-- then let's do it then.
I love you.
This is so disgusting what I've done.
What is this stuff?
It's just I--
the boxes that were in the storage overnight,
just they have to be purged.
And I'm-- I'm trying.
[sighs] It was just garbage.
The most ridiculous, senseless stuff in those boxes
affected so many lives.
How pitiful.
Could this be a motivation to not do this beyond here?
Absolutely.
I just want this chapter of my life over.
[music playing]
- Do you want to keep this? - Trash.
Trash. - Trash?
OK.
[music playing]
Oh no.
Oh my gosh.
Are you shocked?
I-- he's just.
OK, this, to me, is worth it, that he can run
around in this room and play.
Oh my goodness, this is incredible.
I feel like the house is completely safe for Ryland now.
KAREN: Oh!
Oh, nice.
CATHERINE: Whoa, mom.
Whoa.
STANDOLYN ROBERTSON: We wanted to have
a safe space for Ryland.
But what really came out of this is that we
needed a safe space for Karen.
KAREN: Oh, my word, this is perfect.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
CATHERINE: Today, when she actually got to see the house,
it was like a whole new Karen was born.
I'm absolutely proud of her.
I think we're all ready to jump in and support
her the best way we know how, and I think she's ready for it.
I think that's the biggest thing is she's finally ready.
For me, the success was having you at the end of this
to be able to look into the mirror
and tell yourself "I love you."
You ready for that?
Yes.
I love you and who you're going to become.
MELVA GREEN: You gave your kids the gift of being
able to see you, the real you.
JARED: The old you.
The old you.
Wow.
MELVA GREEN: The transformation of this house
is a transformation of her heart.
Group hug.
Hug your-- hug your mama.
Group hug.