ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. - A wounded American hero is getting a mortgage-free home in Elizabeth City.
“It’s amazing," Army Specialist Rory Shaffer said. "Such a great gift.”
Building Homes for Heroes presented Shafffer, her husband, and son with the home today.
She said she was shocked yet pleased with how big the house was.
“I was really excited to see how big it was. I was not expecting such a big house. That was my big thing. It was huge and I was so excited for the space," Shaffer explained.
Even with her excitement, Shaffer says getting here hasn't been easy.
When she was serving in Iraq, a truck near her exploded, shattering her jaw.
Specialist Shaffer now suffers from neck and back issues, migraines, and post traumatic stress disorder.
“Then I spent two years up at Fort Lewis receiving medical treatment for my injuries then I was medically retired in 2012," Shaffer explained.
Volunteers spent weeks remodeling and painting the home for the family.
“This gives them a sense of relief and alleviates them of the burden of trying to sort out the cost of a home," Jim Rogers, with Building Homes for Heroes, said. "We hope for this family, they’ll be able to put down roots.”
Specialist Shaffer said getting the new home will help stabilize her family.
“We won’t need to be moving because you know we were living in a rental before. It’s more permanent. I haven’t lived anywhere permanent, pretty much, for 20 years," Shaffer explained.
