RICHMOND HILL, Ga. (WSAV) – After recovering from life-threatening injuries suffered in Afghanistan, a retired soldier is getting a new home for free.
Ryan Davis, a retired US Army sergeant, went through 28 life-saving surgeries after an explosion during his deployment to Afghanistan.
Despite being given just a 30 percent chance of survival, Davis survived three amputations and eventually returned to his family.
The Gary Sinise Foundation, founded by the award-winning actor, will be building a smart home catered toward Davis and his mobility challenge — and it all comes with no mortgage.
Andy Jahnsen, project manager of the Gary Sinise Foundation, is grateful for this opportunity to help others.
“When we go into a home, we look at wider hallways. It’ll be the first time Ryan can actually go tuck his son in bed at night,” said Jahnsen. “We look at the master shower area, where a lot of these guys have had to take showers on the floor. Now we have a bench, where they can transfer from chair to bench and take a shower.”
For three years, Davis’ road to recovery has seen many obstacles.
He’s certain that this new home will make things much easier.
“You can do things without certain accessible features in the home. It’s exhausting, it wears you out and becomes not worth whatever measure it is that you’re trying to accomplish,” Davis said. “These are gonna be fights I won’t have to have in my own home anymore because of the foundation. It’ll be very easy to cook, very easy to shower.”
Davis is encouraged by the warm welcome he has received from Richmond Hill’s tight-knit community.
The retired Army sergeant feels that he fits in quite well with his new neighbors.
“It feels amazing,” he said. “Having all my new neighbors, and my old friends and my builder all intertwined with each other. It makes butterflies dance in my belly, buddy. It’s pretty cool.”