BULVERDE, Texas – After two years of waiting, a local war veteran and Purple Heart recipient received a life-changing gift on Friday. Sgt. Anesi “Maverick” Tu’ufuli and his family were handed the keys to a fully wheelchair-accessible house in Bulverde, courtesy of Jared Allen’s Homes for Wounded Warriors and the Home Depot Foundation.
”The excitement is through the roof, I’m blown away, this is not what I expected, this is above and beyond from what I thought was going to happen. Being here, seeing all this, it’s like I’m watching a show, I’m in the show right now really!,” Maverick expressed.
Back in 2005, Maverick suffered severe injuries while on duty in Iraq due to an improvised explosive device. The incident led to the loss of his left leg and a portion of his right leg. Since then, he has adapted to a prosthetic leg and relies on a wheelchair for most daily activities. Unfortunately, the lack of accessibility has been a growing concern for Maverick and his family.
“Why shouldn’t they [veterans] have everything that they need after what they’ve done for this country?,” questioned Alex Karalexis of Jared Allen’s Homes for Wounded Warriors.
Following Maverick’s initial contact with the nonprofit two years ago, a partnership was formed with the Home Depot Foundation to construct a 2,800-square-foot home in Bulverde. The house boasts wheelchair-friendly features such as wide walkways, low countertops, and a specially designed shower.
“We’re also providing all of the furniture inside. He doesn’t know that yet and won’t know until we hand him the keys,” revealed Heather Prill of the Home Depot Foundation.
”I’m going to be roaming around all over the place! There’s so much space for my chair, I’m not worried about hitting anything on the corners!” exclaimed Maverick.
The war veteran and his family expressed profound gratitude for the assistance they received and urged fellow veterans to seek out necessary support and services.
“This is the way of serving people that served, helping them by giving back. Not all of us come back 100%,” Maverick reflected. “Something like this, it may help them to bring them back to their home”.
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