May 14, 2017
A new door was opened for a wounded veteran as he was welcomed into his family’s new home in Texas. Army Sgt Dan Cowart lost his left leg to a suicide bomber in Iraq while serving in the Iraq War. In addition to losing his leg in 2007, Cowart also suffers nerve damage in his right leg and hearing loss in both ears. He is forced to spend the majority of his time in a wheelchair. Last year, non-profit organization, Helping a Hero, broke ground on Cowart’s new home, which is located in Santa Fe, Texas. On Saturday, his wife, Sarah, and twin daughters, Avalon and Alyssa, joined him as he was welcomed by the organization into their new home.
Dozens of people, including veterans, came out to support the event for Cowart and his family. Photos show him shaking hands with several people and others standing outside the new home waving American flags. The four-bedroom, three-bathroom home is fully wheelchair accessible. Helping a Hero designed the home with wider doors, wider hallways, a roll-in shower, a roll-under sink and an adapted toilet area. On a flyer for the event, the organization said that a lot of features in the home will help Cowart ‘be as independent as possible’.
Helping a Hero has built more than 100 homes in 22 states for veterans wounded in the ‘War on Terror’. The organization partnered with Keystone Concrete to design the Cowart family’s beautiful home. Helping a Hero wrote on Facebook that the event was a ‘chance for patriotic Americans to say thank you for Cowart’s service and ‘to help change the memory of the day he was wounded. Cowart is currently working on his college degree and wants to work with other wounded veterans to assist with their recovery.
He believes sharing his story and encouraging other wounded warriors to press through the pain and challenges of recovery will help each of them transition to civilian life more successfully. Country music legend Lee Greenwood attended the event to show support for Houston’s local hero.
Source: Wounded veteran who lost his left leg to a suicide bomber in the Iraq War gets a new home in Texas