Like any aunt, Loma Claus thought her niece, Emily Adams, was beautiful just the way she was.

So when Claus found out the 28-year-old South Medford High School graduate was a candidate for "Extreme Makeover," a television surgery reality show, she was surprised.

But Jackie Adams, Emily’s mother, took it all in stride.

"Nothing that my daughter ever does surprises me," said the Eagle Point real estate broker.

The two women will fly to Southern California next week for what producers of the popular cable show call "the revealing."

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They’ll see the results of six or seven weeks of procedures that apparently revamped Emily Adams from top to toe.

"We’re just hoping that we recognize her when we see her," said Claus.

Emily Adams can’t tell her relatives — or anyone else — about the nips, tucks, lifts or other procedures she submitted to.

Typical "Extreme Makeover" clients receive nose jobs, breast enlargements, dental work and other permanent physical alterations, along with new wardrobe and make-up suggestions.

Reached at the Los Angeles-area hotel where she’s been sequestered, Adams sounded excited, even as she politely adhered to network confidentiality agreements.

"My reveal is Wednesday," said Adams, who’s married and lives in Placentia, Calif. "On Thursday I can talk."

The show will air sometime in late April.

Emily Adams was chosen from among several dozen applicants seeking change.

The 1995 Medford graduate served five years in the Army, including a two-year stint in Germany, her aunt said. While there, she worked as a military video reporter.

Jackie Adams said she didn’t know exactly what kind of changes her daughter might have sought.

"She was willing to undergo major surgery to get what she wanted," the mother said. "She didn’t tell me ahead of time because she didn’t want me to worry."

But Emily Adams’ new look, whatever it may be, likely will enhance a possible career as a news correspondent.

"I think she’s pretty dramatic," Jackie Adams said. "I imagine the world is her oyster, actually."

Applicants seek facial makeovers in local contest

More than 150 people have applied for procedures that include laser eye surgery, plastic surgery and dental renovation work, said Reine McIntyre, project manager for Paul Imperia, a Medford eye surgeon.

Imperia has been joined by plastic surgeon Robert Jensen and dentists Randall and Karla Rothfus, all of Medford. Together they’re offering a facial makeover that will be highlighted in a series on KOBI TV Channel 5.

"Most people are saying they would feel more confident, they might be able to get a better job and they might smile more," said McIntyre.

So far, applicants include adult men and women of all ages and conditions. Some seek help to correct physical deformities or injuries. Others simply want to look better, McIntyre said.

The medical team will accept applications through Monday. Then they’ll have to review the submissions to select a single winner.

"I think maybe they’ll consider just their past and everything. They’ll just look at what they’ve been through and their stories," McIntyre said.

So far, a couple thousand people have logged onto the Web site — www.imperiavision.com — for information about the contest.

All told, the completed procedures will be worth thousands of dollars, McIntyre said. More important, though, will be the final results.

"We’re pretty excited at being able to help someone," she said.

Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail jaleccia@mailtribune.com