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New Home Brings New Life To Injured Soldier
(July 10, 2010) |
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Retired Cpl. Joshua Lindsey and his fianc�e, Tracey Froebel,
pause for some pictures before entering their new house north of
Atlanta, June 26. Lindsey was severely injured after he was shot
while on a patrol with his battalion in Iraq, in February of 2005.
Homes for Our Troops, a non-profit organization, provided the home
at no cost to Lindsey thanks to the work and materials donated from
corporate sponsors, tradesmen, foundation grants and other local
volunteers. |
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FORT MCPHERSON, Ga. (ANS, July 6, 2010) -- One Army veteran,
severely wounded in Iraq, has been given a great boost forward to
start a new life with his soon-to-be wife.
Homes for Our Troops, a non-profit organization, held a key turnover
ceremony June 26, for Joshua Lindsey and his fianc�e, Tracy Froebel,
at their new home in Cumming, Ga. Lindsey was medically retired from
the Army as a corporal as a result of his injuries in Iraq.
The non-profit group HFOT provides specially-designed, barrier-free
homes at no cost to seriously-injured veterans, so they can more
easily live their lives.
Lindsey was deployed to Iraq, attached to the 3rd Infantry Division,
when he was severely injured in February of 2005. While on a patrol
over-watch for his battalion, he was shot and then hit by two 81mm
mortars. He has been left a paraplegic as a result of the attack.
"It was a life-changing moment for sure," Lindsey said after
describing the events. "Having to give back a lot of my |
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independence to take care of myself was one of the biggest
adjustments I had to make." |
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Lindsey's new home comes at no cost to him. The work and materials
came from donations from corporate sponsors, tradesmen, foundation
grants and volunteers.
"This home will be a huge step to help Josh restore his life to what
he will be able to classify as normal," said Tom Benoit, HFOT vice
president and chief financial officer. "We are extremely grateful
for Josh and his family for the sacrifices they've endured for this
country."
"We are also most appreciative to everyone from the community who
came together to help build this amazing house for Josh and Tracy,"
he continued. "This was a huge undertaking to build and could not
have been completed without the great number of volunteers who made
it all happen."
After the presentation, Lindsey and his fianc�e took a tour of the
finished product and were amazed by the outcome.
The specially-adapted home is an open floor plan that has been
designed specifically to make the entire house much more accessible
for Lindsey.
"I'm able to do things on my own," he said. "I'm able to move around
the house in my wheelchair and not have to worry about running into
anything. I can reach everything in the house now without relying on
others assisting. Overall, I have the ability to regain a lot of my
independence that I've missed for the past few years, and that's a
great feeling." | |
Article and photo By Army Sgt. Jason Thompson
3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs Office
Copyright 2010
Reprinted from
Army News Service
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