POWAY, Calif. — After years of highs and lows, the Stacy family is moving into their brand new, personalized house in Poway, California.
The Gary Sinise Foundation gives mortgage-free, smart homes to veterans and first responders, and chose the San Diego family to be their 71st home given.
Navy veteran Kenton Stacy is a quadriplegic and the home is custom-designed to fit his needs, including a lift that will carry him from his bed to the shower and also wide hallways that will fit his wheelchair.
Kenton was injured while serving in Syria in 2017. He was part of the Explosive Ordinance Disposal team, which is responsible for rendering bombs safe. They were clearing a hospital when a local security guard went into another room and Kenton followed to tell him it was unsafe. That’s when the IED went off, disabling Kenton for the rest of his life.
He is now aware of what’s happening around him and can mouth words, but is unable to speak or walk.
“We just talked to him the night before, it was our son’s sixth birthday. I’m like there’s no way, did I really just get this phone call, he’s three weeks away from coming home. I was just in utter shock,” said his wife and high school sweetheart, Lindsey.
The couple has four kids and one of their sons has cerebral palsy, so some of the home modifications will also be beneficial for him.
Elizabeth Fields, COO for the Gary Sinise Foundation, said they donate homes around the country but rely heavily on local contractors and employees to help build them, adding that more than 60 local San Diego people helped with this specific house and the project would not have been possible without them.
“It’s their forever home so we want them to be active in making choices where they’re going to not only live independently but just be happy and know that this is home for them,” said Fields.
This story was originally published by Leah Pezzetti at KGTV.
