Injured Army Veteran Receives Amazing Gift in Upstate New York

An injured Army veteran has received a mortgage-free, fully accessible new smart home in the Catskills.

We say it all the time, it takes a very special person to dedicate a portion of their lives to enter a branch of the military. Thankfully, most of the brave men and women who are deployed to engage enemies overseas are able to return home safely, but unfortunately, that isn't always the case.

New York Army Veteran Injured in Iraq

Sadly, there are too many stories of members of our military who get severely injured during their deployment and come home under extremely difficult circumstances. Oftentimes, those injuries are life-changing and require major changes when they arrive home. That's what happened to United States Army Specialist Michael Gaynor III and his family after he was injured in Iraq.

SPC Gaynor, who enlisted in the Army at 18, was inspired by his grandfather’s military service suffered catastrophic injuries back in 2010 during his deployment in Iraq with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team. According to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, SPC Gaynor suffered a severed spine, broken ribs, collapsed lungs, and a ruptured spleen after his Humvee rolled over while on patrol. The accident left him paralyzed and has required 15 years of outpatient care.

Veteran Receives Amazing Gift

Over the years, the life-changing injuries have posed numerous challenges for SPC Gaynor, who lives in an apartment along with his wife Cyndy on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, because it lacks ADA-compliant features, according to the Foundation. The lack of appropriate features and the challenges will soon be one less thing the couple needs to worry about, as they have received keys to a brand new smart home that's fully accessible and designed to meet their needs.

Last week, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation Smart Home Program presented SPC Gaynor with the keys to a new smart home in Round Top, New York. The state-of-the-art home features zero thresholds, motorized doors, and keyless entry, as well as wide doors, hallways, and bathrooms that are designed for easy navigation.

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The homes’ lights, temperature, security, and sound system can all be controlled remotely via a smartphone app or touch screens located throughout the house.

"I can’t wait for the independence this house will give me," said SPC Gaynor, "Just to be able to operate everything, to be able to reach everything, and get around easily."

Tunnel to Towers Foundation

The Foundation, whose mission is "building homes for America’s heroes," builds specially adapted, mortgage-free smart homes that help some of the most catastrophically injured first responders and Veterans. For more information, check out the Tunnel to Towers Foundation online.