Disabled Veteran Receives New Smart Home

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — Melroy Cort enlisted in the Marine Corps when he was 19 years old. He married his high school sweetheart, Samantha, shortly before his first deployment to Iraq in August 2005.

Cpl Cort’s life changed forever when he lost both of his legs in an IED blast four months later on December 7, 2005. Since then, Cpl Cort and Samantha started a family that has grown to ten children.

In 2018, his family faced another misfortune, finding themselves homeless after an electrical fire damaged their home and destroyed most of their possessions. Since that fire, Cpl Cort, his wife, and their 10 children briefly stayed in a hotel and are now staying with family members.

The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, established to honor the fallen 9/11 firefighter, is teaming up with another 9/11 charity, A Soldier’s Journey Home. Both groups are joining forces to build the Cort family a mortgage-free smart home in just twelve days. All tools used for the home build are donated by The Home Depot Foundation.

The custom-built smart home will be designed to meet Cpl Cort’s specific needs, enabling him to live as independently as possible. Cooking is one of his passions, and it will now be made easier for him as the kitchen features a stove that raises and lowers to wheelchair height, as well as pull-down cabinet shelving. The home also provides over-sized doorways, wider hallways, and customized bathrooms. The home’s thermostat and lights are also controlled by a tablet or smartphone.

To learn more about the organization and progress on the home, click here!