There is simply not enough that we can do for the brave men and women in uniform who protect our rights and freedom, but we can always do a little bit more. That’s the main motto of the Gary Sinise Foundation, which helps first responders, defenders, veterans, and their families.

Jonathon Blank is one of those veterans who could certainly use some help, as the brave soldier toured in Afghanistan and lost both of his legs.

The 32-year-old marine returned home, but it was pretty clear that recovery would be anything but easy and straightforward. Jonathon came back both mentally and physically broken, and the costs for his medical bills were sky-high. Rehabilitation would be incredibly difficult in so many ways.

Blank joined the Marine Corps back in 2006 directly after he graduated high school. Four years later, he served in Afghanistan. One day during his tour, it went terribly wrong as he was involved in an explosion. There was plenty of shrapnel, which injured his head and arms, but it was the blast that made him lose both of his lower limbs.

However, this marine wasn’t about to give up, and his story was heard by Gary Sinise.

Sinise is a renowned actor, and you might know him from his lead role in CSI: New York, but he’s more well-known for his role in Forrest Gump, where he plays a veteran himself. Sinise wanted to help Jonathon with his foundation, as he thought it was the least they could do. The actor has a reputation of being incredibly kind and compassionate, and his foundation and the countless people he helped are living proof of that.

Even though Jonathon would never be able to lead an easy life again, the non-profit wanted to make his daily life significantly easier.

They offered to build him a fully custom-made home, adapted to his injuries.

“It’s such an incredible gift,” the marine said to a local news station. “Even some of those tough guys, when they found out about this, they got pretty emotional about it.”

“The world is not meant for people with disabilities,” he said. “It’s just a hard truth and that’s something that I’ve dealt with every day since I was injured.”

Blank definitely isn’t the only disabled veteran who has received support from the foundation, as Sinise and his crew members have built homes for about 60 wounded veterans.

The organization works together with a company called Jorgenson Builders to design and create the adapted homes. All houses are custom-built and tailored to the specific needs of the veterans.

“We really have to be thinking about how they are going to access each of the levels of the house,” the company said.

Because it’s not easy to move around for Blank, his home will be completely smart with remote-controlled lights and shades and will have a voice assistant. There will also be an elevator to make sure that Jonathon can easily access all parts of the home. The company wanted to plan the entire home together with him so that they wouldn’t miss a single detail or element.

“Honestly, I didn’t really know that I would be so involved with the planning and the layout of the building.”

His girlfriend Brittney Harris couldn’t be more happy, as this home would greatly improve their lives.

“He’s dragging, hauling all his stuff up and down the stairs all the time,” she says. “Nothing slows him down, but just to imagine cupboards that he can pull down and reach rather than having to jump up there — it’s going to be such a huge difference for him.”

The Gary Sinise Foundation is doing some incredible work, and this custom-built home will definitely be a lifesaver for this courageous veteran and his girlfriend. Whether we’re talking about Sinise or Blank, they’re both inspirational heroes.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0qtQ5fgHrX/

Source: Newsner, Jonathon Blank, Gary Sinise Foundation