Helping a Hero, a non-profit providing support for military personnel severely injured in the line of duty, Bass Pro Shops, and Lennar, one of the nation’s leading homebuilders, today broke ground on a brand new Lennar home for SGT Luis Rosa-Valentin, USA (Ret), a triple amputee injured by an explosion while on duty in Iraq. The new adapted home is part of Lennar’s Sedona community in South Miami-Dade County.
Approximately 200 people lined the streets waving American flags and holding handmade signs cheering “Welcome Home, SGT Rosa-Valentin, USA (Ret).” SGT Rosa-Valentin and his family were greeted by special guests from Helping a Hero, including Founder, Meredith Iler, Congressmen Brian Mast, as well as Lennar Southeast Regional Vice President, Carlos Gonzalez and many proud Lennar Associates.
The groundbreaking is part of Helping a Hero’s 100 Homes Challenge, which was launched by Johnny Morris, Founder and CEO of Bass Pro Shops. Lennar has joined the effort and committed to building 10 homes for Helping a Hero and plans to build more as part of the 100 Homes Challenge. Homes by Lennar are being built in Texas, Arizona, Florida and Colorado.
Lennar worked with Helping a Hero to design the new home, a Mulberry Floorplan encompassing 2,806 square feet with five bedrooms, four-and-one-half baths and a two-car garage, which will be fully accessible. The home is in a stunning location situated near Route 1 offering easy access to downtown Miami, as well as the Florida Keys, offering the best of what South Florida has to offer – including sandy beaches, restaurants, nightlife, entertainment venues and excellent ocean adventures on the Gulf Coast.
SGT Luis Rosa-Valentin’s first day of basic training was September 11th, 2001. After basic training he went to Air-borne school and was sent to the 3rd Infantry Division where he participated in the invasion of Iraq in 2003 with the C-co 2/7 Infantry and fought as part of Task Force 3-69, which notably seized Saddam International Airport and Saddam’s personal palace. On April 21, 2008, two days before SGT Rosa-Valentin’s 25th birthday, he was part of the 4th Infantry Division, acting as a point man on a dismounted combat raid just outside of Baghdad. The unit had been involved in a six-hour firefight filled with snipers and combatants. Luis had just assisted in getting an injured soldier, medevac’d out of the area. He returned to the firefight, scanning for snipers when an IED exploded next to him. He lost both legs, his left arm, sight in one eye and his hearing in the blast. He was airlifted to Landstuhl, Germany and then to Walter Reed Army Medical Center where he remained for nearly a year and a half, in recovery.
“Family means everything to me. I never would have imagined that Helping a Hero and Lennar could design a home perfectly for me and my large family of seven plus my caregiver. In just a few months, our lives will be changed. We are forever grateful.” said Luis Rosa-Valentin.
“It has been a joy getting to know SGT Luis Rosa-Valentin. He is an eternal optimist and is a talented artist. Being a triple amputee hasn’t stopped him from living life to the fullest. He’s married with five children and always has a smile on his face. It is an honor to partner with Lennar and Bass Pro to build this home.” said Meredith Iler, Founder, Helping a Hero Home Program.
“On behalf of Lennar’s entire Southeast Florida Division, we are honored to have the opportunity to build a home that will provide SGT Rosa-Valentin and his family the ideal backdrop to create many memories for years to come,” said Gonzalez. “Giving back to our community is part of our DNA at Lennar and we are delighted to commit our time and resources to create an exceptional home for an extremely deserving American hero.”
Helping A Hero is accepting applications from Post 9-11 wounded warriors needing a specially adapted home due to their combat injuries to become part of the 100 Homes Challenge. We also invite the public to Nominate a Hero. Both the home application and the Nominate a Hero form are available on our website at www.helpingahero.org.