By Georgia East
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
July 1, 2006
MIRAMAR · Not long before he was injured in Iraq, Staff Sgt. John Adams resurfaced the kitchen cabinets in the modest house he shares with his wife, mom and two young sons.
He used to be the handyman of the three-bedroom house, always seeing something that needed fixing, always within reach of his hammer and nails.
He still sees things to be done. But the brain injury he received in 2003, when a roadside bomb detonated near his Humvee, robbed him of coordination, hindered his short-term memory and slurred his speech.
On Friday, a team of volunteers with Rebuilding Together/Countrywide showed up at his east Miramar home to install a more accessible shower, paint his walkway and build an outdoor play set for the boys.
"I feel proud that they're doing all of this stuff for me,'' said Adams, 40, who served for 18 years with the Florida National Guard. "I was kind of surprised.''
His wife, Summer Adams, a stay-at-home mom, said some of the little things are going to make a big difference.
"It's a gift from heaven," she said, showing off the new stackable washer and dryer the group installed and the pantry they created.
Now the family can make fewer trips to the grocery store, she said. And she doesn't have to worry about her husband falling while helping with the laundry because he no longer has to go outdoors to get to the machines.
Known for rehabilitating low-income homes, Rebuilding Together last year launched a program to renovate the houses of injured veterans.
The program is a partnership with Countrywide Financial Corp., and so far volunteers have revamped five houses, including this one.
To qualify, military personnel must demonstrate they suffered severe injuries while serving in either Iraq or Afghanistan.
So far, 19,345 Americans have been wounded in the war, according to the Department of Defense.
"We wanted to make the house safer for Sgt. Adams and make it possible for his family to do a little healing,'' said T. J. Cantwell, program director at Rebuilding Together. "We know they have other priorities to work on and we want to help fill in those gaps.''
Life hasn't been easy for the family since a hot chunk of shrapnel hit Adams and lodged in his brain.
He takes seizure medication and if he tilts his head backwards for too long, he will fall.
Still, Adams cooks and plays with his two boys, ages 5 and 7.
"He never wants to feel useless,'' said Summer Adams, who said they've found that keeping him in a routine helps tremendously.
Summer Adams tried working at a child-care center, but her husband found it too difficult to care for the two boys, so she is back at home.
The community outreach has helped make her husband's transition a little easier, she said.
Stephen Dehnert, who works as a Countrywide sales manager in Hollywood, took time off to volunteer before going on trip for the July Fourth holiday.
"This is the least I could do,'' said Dehnert, with splashes of paint on his shorts. "There are men and women dying over there and I'm painting a walkway."
Those interested in applying or finding out more about the project can log on to servingthosewhoserve.org.
Georgia East can be reached at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or 954-385-7921.
News
