For the first time in a long time Captain Gavin White will be able to live a better quality of life thanks to the donation of a new smart-home for him and his wife. Gavin White served in Maiwand, Afghanistan with the 137th Sapper Company Engineering Battalion charged with Route Clearance and Counter IED Operations. Life changed forever for Gavin and his wife Karissa on August 24, 2013, while leading combined Afghan U.S. patrol. Gavin stepped on a pressure plate IED which resulted in the amputation of his right leg, the loss of use of his left leg, chronic pain and other injuries.
Since that time - he says he's faced more challenges than ever before. For White, even the smallest tasks like even going into his own closet or using the bathroom has been extremely hard to do without help. White explained "Problems that I never considered started appearing in my home. Not being able to use the kitchen, not being able to do laundry and not being able to get clothes out of my closet to wear for the day. At one point every time I wanted to use the bathroom, I had to get out of my chair on to the floor and walk on my hands to get to the toilet."
The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation honored Gavin with a custom-designed smart home. The home is made for severely injured heroes so they can live a more independent life. "Until today this was just a house where I lived. Now I feel like it's my home" said White. The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation created its "smart home" program to give independence back to those who have paid a daunting price for our freedom. Story