Homes for Our Troops gives injured veteran Harry Stokes keys to his new home
On Saturday, in the early hours of the day, Army Specialist Harry Stokes received the keys to his new home in Amarillo with the help of Homes For Our Troops and all their sponsors.
“I’m really excited to get Harry into his forever home. This allows him to move on to the next chapter of his life. He no longer has to worry about rent or mortgage, but most importantly Harry doesn’t have to rely on people to help him do things anymore. He can cook, clean, do the laundry, and get ready in the morning and not have to rely on someone. This home is going to restore some of the freedom and independence Harry lost due to the injuries he received serving our country,” said Bill Ivey, Executive Producer for Homes For Our Troops.
Stokes was inspired to join the Army after the pride he saw in his brother while he served as a Marine. Stokes served his time as a line medic with the 1-23 Infantry, 3-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team after having previous experience as an EMT. “I really enjoyed the medical side of things,” Stokes said.
According to the Homes For Our Troops website, on June 3, 2012, during Stokes' first deployment in Panjwai Valley, Afghanistan, three months into his deployment, tragedy struck. Stokes stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED), which followed an ambush. In the blast, his right leg was amputated, along with his left foot. As he waited for medical aid, he applied his own tourniquets and administered his own morphine.
SPC Stokes went through several surgeries to his legs; in the end, his left leg was amputated below the knee. After enduring physical therapy at the Center for the Intrepid in San Antonio and Balboa Naval Medical Center in San Diego, Stokes can now walk on his prosthetics for short periods of time.
“It is truly a miracle in the making. We have waited quite a while. As a family, we love it because we know he needs it. This day has finally come, and I’m just on cloud nine. I am so amazed at all of the people that came out to show support. This is so much of the helping hand that Harry needs,” explained Ron Stokes, Harry Stokes' father and former Army member.
SPC Stokes is now medically retired, and although he has come a long way in his recovery, there are still many challenges that he faces at home. Simple things are now a challenge: The steps to get into his home, lack of wheelchair access and overall safety were a major issue in his day-to-day life.
This is where Homes For Our Troops comes in. Their mission, according to their website, is to “build and donate specially adapted custom homes nationwide for severely injured post-9/11 veterans, to enable them to rebuild their lives. The veterans Homes For Our Troops (HFOT) serves are among the nation's most severely injured with missing limbs, varying levels of paralysis, blinded and traumatic brain injury (TBI)."
"Being able to go through every door in my wheelchair is blowing my mind,” SPC Stokes said.
After speeches from the many special guests there to honor SPC Stokes, it was time to raise the flag, cut the ribbon, and receive the keys. “All of the speeches that everyone gave really touched my heart. Everything here is just so big. My last place I couldn’t turn around in the hallway, and I just can’t see that happening here. Everything is perfect. I don’t have to worry about changing things to work for my needs because HFOT already thought of those things. All I have to worry about is getting my garden going again,” Stokes said during his key ceremony.
Through it all, the Caprock Choir’s harmonies filled the air. "I love that we were able to be part of this celebration for our veterans,” said Andrea Cruz, head choir director at Caprock High School. “It is also so important for our students to see the sacrifices that are made for our freedom.”
Harry Stokes' new home has four bedrooms and two bathrooms and comes with remote and wheelchair access through the home, providing a safe environment for Harry and his family. “He has a remote control that works all of the exterior doors that can stay locked if they are opened or closed. All Harry has to do is come to the door and hit the button; the doors will stay open for a certain amount of time so he can get into the home. Then the doors will shut,” Scott Branson, builder for Branson Homes, explained.
A standout feature of this home is the master bathroom. The shower is big enough to roll a wheelchair in and sit down on the wraparound bench without getting the wheelchair wet. It comes with two rain shower heads and a handheld shower wand. “The technology on all this new stuff is simply amazing. Seeing Harry move into this home is the best part, because it’s what we did it for. We didn’t do it for anything other than that. It was a great cause, and we are so glad we got to be a part of this,” Branson said. The whirlpool tub features a therapeutic bubble action. “Veterans have different types of therapy needs to help with their recoveries. Based on words from the many veterans we have helped, they all agree that the bathtub is the bomb,” Ivey said.
The community was able to come out on Volunteer Day about a month ago to help Harry Stokes get the outside of his home as beautiful as the inside. On that day, while the home was close to being completed, everyone was welcome to come and meet their new neighbor all while laying sod, planting trees, shrubs, and adding some of the finishing touches to the veteran's forever home.
More:New roots for a veteran: Home For Our Troops presents house to wounded warrior
Harry Stokes said on volunteer day, “This is amazing. I have never had an entire day where people take the time out of their day to help me out. The community coming for me is very cool. I am feeling so appreciative; it’s just hard to put into words. "
At this time, Homes For Our Troops has built 336 homes in 42 states, with Harry’s included. The three things HFOT does for veterans is:
Stay in contact with the veterans for life after the completion of the home, in order to ensure the veteran and their family are comfortable and are not facing any challenges. If a challenge arises, HFOT has dedicated personnel to get the veteran needed help.
Build the home where the veteran wants to plant their roots.
Around ninety cents of every dollar made through donations and fundraising goes right back into the mission that HFOT has.
Homes For Our Troops is encouraging their community to get involved by donating, fundraising, and getting out and helping. For more information about the organization, visit https://www.hfotusa.org/ .
For more about Harry Stokes' story, visit https://www.hfotusa.org/building-homes/veterans/stokes/ .
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Wounded warrior Harry Stokes gets keys to his new home in Amarillo
