On Monday, July 12th, HelpingaHero.org will present its 20th to Sergeant Eddie Wright, USMC (Ret.) and celebrate a new beginning for him. Thanks to the HelpingaHero.org Home Program, Vice President Dan Quayle will present the keys to a brand new home in Graystone Hills to SGT Eddie Wright.
The Semper Fi Fund has donated $50,000 towards this home and this is the 3rd home the Semper Fi Fund has partnered with HelpingaHero.org to build for a severely wounded Marine.

“We are very proud to partner with HelpingaHero.org on Sgt Eddie Wright’s home. Watching Eddie throughout his recovery and seeing him now is an inspiration to everyone who knows him. He has that can do attitude and doesn’t let anything deter him from forging ahead.”
Karen Guenther, Founder, Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. Other donors to the home include the Houston Mortgage Bankers Association, The John P. McGovern Foundation and 75 donors from the Montgomery County area.

For his service in Iraq, Sgt. Wright was awarded the Bronze Star with V Device for his bravery and valor. He is also a Purple Heart recipient along with countless other medals. Eddie grew up in Seattle, Washington and played rugby in high school. Eddie's dad served in the Air Force and his grandfather served in the Army in World War II. Eddie decided at a young age he wanted to be a Marine and loved every minute of it.

Upon graduation in 2000, Eddie joined the Marine Corp. He worked very hard and quickly climbed the ranks as he distinguished himself with his leadership skills and his excellence in combat skills like hand to hand combat, marksmanship, etc…
On April 7, 2004, while serving with Bravo Company 1st Reconnaissance Battalion (USMC) in the Al Anbar province of Iraq, he was hit by a rocket propelled grenade (RPG). Eddie was on his second tour of duty in OEF II when he was faced with this ambush…60 insurgents vs. 23 Marines. He sustained severe life-threatening wounds that included the immediate loss of both hands and forearms and an open fracture of his left femur. Despite his severe injuries he
continued leading his troops and got them all to safety which resulted in his being awarded the Bronze Star with V Device. He was medically evacuated from Fallujah to the United States.

He spent a year in recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center where he received extensive physical therapy to begin walking again and occupational therapy to learn to use his prosthetic arms to accomplish challenging daily living tasks.
Following the loss of his hands and forearms, and after a year of intense rehabilitation, Eddie became an instructor at the Martial Arts Center of Excellence, teaching Marine Corp Combatives with the basics in hand to hand combat. On May 29, 2006, he medically retired from the Marine Corp thus closing this dream chapter of his life.

Now he is faced with the daily challenges that result from the wounds of combat. The loss of both hands makes getting dressed, answering a cell phone, tying your shoes, etc... very difficult. Yet, he doesn't let himself say "I cannot do something." He is a leader and is committed to giving back and helping other wounded heroes as they embark on their road to recovery.

This new home meets all of the specially adapted needs of this hero and Danny McClung of Master Finish Custom Homes made sure every detail was attended to for SGT Wright. “We have adapted the home to the best of our ability to make things as easy as possible knowing the limitations of Eddie’s injuries. I am very proud of all of our donors who helped us make Eddie’s home user friendly for a hero with no hands.” Danny McClung, President, Master Finish Custom Homes.

TOTO has donated a NEOREST 500 toilet that is fully automatic. From the moment you approach it and its gently warmed seat opens, you will know this is no ordinary toilet. Once the user has done what they came to do, a press of a button on the wireless remote will clean the user with temperature controlled and pressure regulated water, and another press will dry the user with gentle warm air. An integrated carbon filter cleans the water of odors. When the user leaves, the toilet cleans the nozzles, flushes the toilet and closes the seat for its next guest. Schlage has also donated its new The Schlage LiNK wireless remote entry and home management system that gives Eddie a convenient and affordable way to monitor and control access to his home 24 hours a day/7 days a week. The basic system includes a keypad lock and is built around Z-Wave wireless technology, enabling Eddie to lock and unlock doors and control other Z-Wave-enabled devices from any computer and from his Web-enabled mobile phone.

With LiNK, Eddie can perform a variety of tasks from any location, including:
o Lock and unlock the door (deadbolt can only be unlocked)
o Receive email or text alerts when access codes are entered into the door lock—an ideal
“peace of mind” feature for parents of latchkey kids
o Keep a 90-day log to track who’s coming and going and when
o Easily set up and change entry codes (Schlage LiNK supports 19 codes)
o Create temporary entry codes for a cleaning service, pet sitter, etc.
o Check the door to see if it is locked, instead of returning home
o Adjust temperature (with optional Trane remote thermostat)
o See what’s going on at home (with optional Schlage camera)
o Control lighting while away from home
o Program the system to automatically turn on lights and adjust the temperature when a
specific access code is entered

Rooms to Go donated a house full of furniture, Mattress Firm provided the mattresses for the master bedroom and the children’s rooms, Sears Outlet donated a beautiful gas grill, Factory Builders Supply donated a front loading Washer and Dryer, and Saltgrass will be providing a buffet lunch after the ceremony.

“Sergeant Eddie Wright is a true American hero. He has battled back from a near fatal injury and has endured so much on his road to recovery. We count it an honor to help this young hero begin a new life in a brand new home where his ability to live independently will be maximized.” Meredith Iler, National Chairman, HelpingaHero.org.

Helping a Hero is a 501(c)(3) non profit, non-partisan organization providing support for military personnel, severely injured in the war on terror. Our principal activity is to provide specially adapted homes for qualifying service members as well as engaging the community to provide services and resources for our wounded heroes and their families. For more information on the HelpingaHero.org’s Home Program, visit the website at www.helpingahero.org.