Veteran And Triple Amputee Gifted New 'Smart Home' In Temecula
TEMECULA (CBSLA.com) — A veteran and triple amputee received the keys to a brand new "smart home" Tuesday, the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Actor and philanthropist Gary Sinise handed over the keys to Cpl. Juan Dominguez at the exact moment the South Tower at the World Trade Center fell.
Dominguez, 28, wanted to be a soldier since he was five years old, a desire that was only strengthened after 9/11.
The Temecula resident enlisted in the Marines and was deployed to Afghanistan in September 2010.
One month later, Dominguez and his unit were hit by a bomb that left him wheelchair-bound and a triple amputee.
The house, built with the help of the Tunnel To Tower Foundation and a $500,000 donation from an unnamed businessman, will also be home to Dominguez's wife and daughter.
All functions of the new home are controlled by an iPad.
"He'll be able to control the thermostat, he'll be able to lock and unlock the doors, we've actually built him cabinetry that can lower to a level that's comfortable to him . . . he can also control all the shades throughout the home, see surveillance video," said Danielle Tocco of Standard Pacific Homes.
Dominguez also has a music room in the new home to allow him to follow his passion of drumming.
The Stephen Siller Tunnel To Towers Foundation helps build homes and gives them to injured veterans across the country.
"By giving him this home, we are giving him his life back to the independence this will give him," said John Hodge of the Foundation.
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation currently has 14 homes under construction across the country. The Gary Sinise Foundation has been an integral part of building these homes.
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