 | 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. | | 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 | | independence to take care of myself was one of the biggest adjustments I had to make." |
| 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
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