A wounded Marine veteran who fought in Iraq got a place to call home mortgage-free thanks to the gift of a lifetime.
Daniel Gire and his wife, Crystal, had been struggling for years to find a place to call home on the east coast until they got help from the nonprofit Building Homes for Heroes.
“We’ve been stuck for so long, trying to figure out a purpose and finding him a reason to live, and this is definitely there,” Crystal Gire told WJCL.
In 2007, Daniel Gire was in Iraq saving the lives of fellow Marines when a grenade struck him, sending several pieces of shrapnel into his body. Shortly after he was hit with the grenade, he was shot in the back as he tried to escape, WSAV reported.
The Marines awarded Daniel a Silver Star and a Purple Heart for his actions during the Iraq War.
But life has been hard for Daniel since he came home from the battlefield.
Daniel has undergone multiple surgeries to heal his wounds. He also has suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and has undergone hours of therapy to cope with it.
“To think, a place like Building Houses of Heroes gave us this opportunity to give us that glimmer of hope, that beacon, it’s phenomenal,” Crystal Gire said.
The gifted home is part of the organization’s promise to serve injured veterans who fought for our country after September 11, 2001.
“The family was amazing to work with. We really try to keep that relationship with the families. It’s their safe spot, their place to plant their roots, and start new,” said Cody Brannon, with Building Homes for Heroes.
Daniel and Crystal told WTGS the option of having children was never on the table before they received the house but say they are now excited to start a family of their own someday.
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