The Gary Sinise Foundation made it possible for a disabled veteran and his family to have something they never dreamed possible — a brand new specially adapted smart home.
Former Green Beret Sgt. 1st Class Caleb Brewer, 31, who lost both his legs while on tour in Afghanistan, was gifted the home, which includes functions controlled by smartphones, in addition to greater accessibility and mobility, the Epoch Times reported.
The home was completed on Feb. 6 and gifted to Brewer in a ceremony. Watch the video below:
Brewer joined the U.S. Army in 2005 and later the Green Berets in 2012. In 2015, Brewer was deployed to Afghanistan and during combat there, both of his legs were severed, which led to blood clots and infections. He also sustained a traumatic brain injury, but survived it all and retired in 2016, according to Tucson.com.
Brewer and his family moved back to Tucson, where he was originally from, and were trying to adjust to some type of normalcy when Gary Sinise intervened.
Sinise and his foundation reached out to Brewer and suggested that he submit an application to the foundation’s RISE (Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment) program, which is dedicated to building “specially adapted smart homes” and vehicles for injured veterans.
Brewer applied and qualified for a brand-new, mortgage free smart home that would give Brewer the ability to sustain superior function with his disability.
In a press release, the foundation said, “A specially adapted smart home will greatly increase his ability to perform necessary daily functions.”
Tucson vet wounded in combat receives mortgage-free smart home https://t.co/i2ILb7zY0L pic.twitter.com/d2Jsc9EvgI
— Arizona Daily Star (@TucsonStar) February 6, 2019
The gifted home includes various smart functions controlled by a phone, such as video doorbell, stereo controls, and window blinds. It is wheelchair accessible with features like pocket doors and titled mirrors. The house also includes a room designed for Brewer’s physical therapy.
Brewer now assists others with disabilities to get the help that they need to recover.
“It’s incredibly overwhelming in a good way. It doesn’t feel real. I never would’ve expected it in a million years,” Brewer said.
The RISE program has donated nearly 70 homes so far, through a collaborative effort with local and national organizations who donate materials and services.
Gary Sinise has been helping veterans and their families since the 1970s. He founded the Gary Sinise Foundation in 2011, following the September 11th attacks in New York to offer support to the military and their families.
The foundation blossomed and several other projects were launched, such as the Foundation’s Relief and Resiliency program resulting in Snowball Express. This led to thousands of children and surviving parents of lost military soldiers being able to go on therapeutic vacations, often around Christmas.
