BY BRANDON BLACK, SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS WRITER, GARY SINISE FOUNDATION
ARMY VETERAN REGAINS INDEPENDENCE IN SPECIALLY ADAPTED SMART HOME AT
the worst of times, Jeremy Haynes felt like a burden on his wife. Chores around the house that were once routine and effortless suddenly required help because of his limited mobility. He felt demoralized for not being able to assist her and their kids. Years after a career-ending injury in Afghanistan left the Army veteran paralyzed from the waist down and with
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a traumatic brain injury that affected his memory, Haynes and his family accustomed themselves to the limitations and sacrifices of accessible housing. In 2019, while living at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, Haynes and his wife, Chelsea, made a wish list of modifications they needed most in their specially adapted smart home from the Gary Sinise Foundation R.I.S.E. (Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment) program.
Their requests were modest: a wheelchairaccessible bathroom, maneuverability between rooms, and easy entry into and out of the home. “I’ve been running a marathon, and I’m just now crossing the finish line,” said Haynes, who in January 2020 moved into the custom-made home nestled on more than six forested acres in Fairfax, Virginia. Haynes is the first to say that he is not an emotional person. But he was overjoyed as he wheeled himself under the archway
© All Photos by Julia Robinson
STRENGTHENING FAMILY TIES:
