PINELLAS PARK – The Tunnel to Towers Foundation delivered physical and financial independence to Marine veteran Michael DeLancey on Aug. 19 with a mortgage-free home in Pinellas County.
The foundation’s Smart Home Program builds or modifies homes to make them accessible for injured veterans and first responders. Each home is designed to address the individual’s specific needs.
A sniper attack in September 2006 in Haditha, Iraq, left DeLancey paralyzed from the chest down.
The lance corporal sustained a gunshot wound that entered through his left shoulder, shattered his seventh vertebra and fragmented into his right shoulder. He was airlifted from Iraq to Germany before being transferred to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he spent more than 50 days hospitalized.
DeLancey returned home to Tampa and dedicated himself to rehabilitation while discovering adaptive sports and outdoor recreation. He began mentoring newly injured service members at Walter Reed.
DeLancey started Wounded Warriors Abilities Ranch in 2015. The nonprofit helps veterans stay active through sports and activities in the Tampa Bay area.
Some of the features of his new home include automated exterior doors; wider halls and doorways; automatic door locks; adjustable cabinets, counters and stovetops; wheelchair-accessible showers; smart controls for lighting, temperature, security and sound; and backup generators.
“To me, this house represents the foundation of the strong community bond that I have been lucky enough to have since coming home,” said the Pinellas Park native.
Want to help?
Visit T2T.org to support Tunnel to Towers’ mission and help deliver life-changing mortgage-free smart homes.
