Dear Fellow American,
From the time my husband -- Marine Lance Corporal Cory Hixson -- was young, all he wanted to do was serve his country for you and me.
So, it was no surprise when he decided to follow in the footsteps of his dad joining the Marines with the dream of becoming a rifleman.
Soon after, Cory was deployed to Iraq.
But after his unit captured three insurgents in a routine supply mission, they were hit with heavy mortar fire that resulted in a six-hour firefight requiring air and tank support.
That's when my Cory's life was changed forever.
One mortar landed five feet in front of him. The shrapnel from that powerful blast struck his upper torso and face, piercing Cory's left eye.
He was immediately medically evacuated for emergency surgery on his eye and thank God, he survived.
My husband, Cory, is a fighter. When he was medically discharged from the Marines, he wanted nothing more than to get back to work and live his life to the fullest.
So, he took a job as a heavy equipment operator at a surface coal mine in our hometown.
We got married, had two children, and for a short time, everything felt okay.
But then, things took a turn for the worse.
The severe Post-Traumatic Stress and Traumatic Brain Injuries he suffered fighting for our freedom started to keep him up at night.
The hearing and vision loss he suffered from the shrapnel blast made it harder for him to work.
And eventually, the pain and stress from his combat injuries made it impossible for him to hold down a job.
I couldn't imagine what Cory was going through.
Not just the terrible pain he dealt with... but waking up every day knowing that life would never be the same.
All I wanted to do was be by his side and do whatever I could to help him.
And the absolute last thing on my mind was figuring out how we would afford to keep the lights on or keep the roof over our heads.
But as the bills started to stack up, we couldn't ignore it any longer.
Then, just as the walls felt like they were about to cave in on me and my family, we got a call from Operation Finally Home.
If you've ever heard of Operation Finally Home, then you know that they provide mortgage-free, custom-built homes to wounded combat veterans and their families.
We were invited to a conference for what we thought was an interview with Operation Finally Home and one of their builders.
But when were asked to come on stage and share our story, only to hear the team at Operation Finally Home was going to bless our family with a home built specially to help Cory live with his injuries, I knew it was a sure sign from God that everything would be alright.
But the Operation Finally Home team can't do it alone.
After finding patriots to donate the land and the bulk of the building materials, Operation Finally Home has to come up with around $98,500 to finish building one home.
And as a non-profit organization, the only way they can come up with that money is with the help of generous, patriotic Americans throughout the country who understand the sacrifices our veterans and first responders make for you and me every single day.
So friend, after all Operation Finally Home has done for Cory, our two young children, and me, I have to ask you for this favor...
Dan Wallrath, Operation Finally Home founder, saw the plight of our veterans who came home from Iraq and Afghanistan with brain injuries, without limbs, with severe burns, and much more.
Many of these brave warriors can't dress themselves, get up and down stairs on their own, or remember simple tasks.
Never mind secure a job that can pay the rent and put food on the table.
That's why Dan and his team does whatever it takes to make sure combat veterans like Cory can live peacefully.
-If a veteran in a wheelchair needs low sinks to be able to brush his or her own teeth or help with the dishes at dinnertime - they build it.
-If a veteran who's lost his legs or arms - or both - needs a motorized lift to get in and out of the tub without the help of a spouse or parent - they build it.
-If a veteran needs a plain, dark room to retreat to when everyday sights and sounds trigger their PTSD - they build it.
And the best part is, they give these homes to families like mine 100% mortgage-free so heroes like Cory never have to spend another night worrying:
"How will I ever take care of my family again?"
Every day is a struggle for American heroes like my husband.
He served his country, lost his eye for you and me. He lost his memory. And he's losing his day-to-day life trying to fix himself.
But thanks to Operation Finally Home, the weight of wondering how we'll survive has been lifted off our shoulders.
Thank you for taking the time to read my letter.
And thank you in advance for your generosity.
Sincerely,
Shala Hixson
Operation FINALLY HOME is a nonpartisan/nonprofit 501(c)(3)
organization.
All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
© Operation FINALLY HOME | www.operationfinallyhome.org
1659 State Highway 46 West, Suite 115-606, New Braunfels, TX 78132
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