HELPING A HERO
Helping a Hero along with Bass Pro Shops have started the 100 Home Challenge to put injured war heroes of the 9-11 Global War on Terror into free adapted homes. Cpl. Sebastian Gallegos, his wife Jasmine, who is also a veteran, and their son Xolo received a free Lennar 4-bedroom home with adaptations to support his injuries on Monday at a ceremony in Kyle.
The ceremony was befitting a hero with hundreds in attendance, the posting of the colors by the Hays High School Color Guard, a parade, a massive American flag flying from the ladder of a firetruck and the singing of the National Anthem by Grace Mixon.
Gallegos expressed his gratitude for the home and shared a bit of his story. He said he was born in San Antonio and is a “Texan through and through.” Gallegos joined the U.S. Marine Corps when he was 18 years old during the height of the war in Afghanistan. He was a part of the Darkhorse Unit when he was wounded and lost his right arm along with 240 other Purple Hearts recipients and 26 Marine casualties.
“Just to think [even though there were] the 26 men that died, I get the opportunity to be a father here and have the opportunity to raise my son and have a home,” Gallegos said. “You know, they say something that doesn't kill you, makes you stronger, but the cumulative pain, it wears on your soul.”
Gallegos added that he is so grateful to be living so close to Austin because there are more prosthetists there than in San Antonio where he had trouble finding care. He said his current prosthetic was actually made by a person that works at SpaceX and had heard his story and wanted to help.
“I haven't been able to get prosthetics made in San Antonio. And that's just because of the nature of my injuries. It's just been very difficult to get prosthetics. I've actually not seen the prosthetist in over two years,” Gallegos said. “I relied on a local engineer to build this arm specifically for me.”
Cynthia Hunt Mixon was the mistress of ceremonies for the event and said that Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops CEO, announced the 100 Homes Challenge on live television.
“[Morris said he would] fund 25% of the next 100 adapted homes for our most severely wounded veterans from the War on Terror,” Mixon said. “This is one of those homes. Johnny's people at every Bass Pro Shop are special. They are patriots. They love America. They love Americans, and they love our wounded warriors.”
Mixon said the leadership of Lennar have joined the 100 Homes Challenge and have adapted homes all over the country for wounded warriors.
“These builders think of everything they can do, big and small, to help these wounded warriors adjust to deal independently with their disability and be free in their own homes,” Mixon said. “Lennar is committed to veterans. They not only build homes for them, they hire them.”
SPC J.P. Lane, a fellow wounded war veteran, and his wife Crystal Lane previously received a home from the 100 Homes Challenge and nominated the Gallegos family to receive their new home. J.P Lane also sang a song and played his guitar at the ceremony.
“We knew the moment we met that we were blessed with our home, that we have to pay it forward and … we nominated them,” Crystal Lane said. “Thank you for your service to this country and [the service that] you're going to continue to do in this community. … We're just so grateful that you guys were selected.”
Learn more about Helping a Hero at helpingahero. org.
