Double-amputee Iraq war veteran receives custom-built home in Gilbert | Care Force
GILBERT, Ariz. - Through speaking with veterans and sharing their stories over the last several months, we've learned they generally never put themselves first. Even when they need help, they seldom ask for it – always thinking about someone else who needs it more, and retired Army Sgt. Brent Bretz is no different.
Bretz returned from Iraq injured and almost didn't make it. And still, when confronted with the chance to get a new home designed for him, he struggled to accept it.
Thanks to some gentle nudging and help from the community, Bretz is spending this holiday season in his new home in Gilbert.
Christina: "When you look at the space now, I know you're a month in, you just got here, but what do you picture for your future? What do you see happening in this space?"
The answer to the question is limitless.
Bretz, a former sniper, gets to plan his future here in his new house, built just for him. It's a gift he never asked for and never thought he would need when he joined the Army in 2000. The Iraq war began in 2003 and by 2004, Bretz was on his way there.
"My main role in Iraq was actually to be a fire team leader in an infantry company. And then my secondary was being a sniper," he said. "We were definitely one of the higher-end commodities on a battlefield. I mean, like, what do you do when you're fighting tanks in comparison to snipers? Tanks? You're seeing snipers? You don't."
On December 19, 2004, the truck he was in was hit by an improvised explosive device outside of Mosul. He was unconscious. In a coma for two weeks. His injuries were head to toe.
Christina: When you woke up, did you wake up without your legs? Is that how that happened?"
"Correct. I woke up December 19, 2004, with my legs and January 5, I woke up in the hospital surrounded by my family and didn't have them. And I was kind of so bedridden that I couldn't even sit up and look," explained Bretz.
He was hospitalized for six months, followed by physical and occupational therapy. He leaned on family for support and was officially discharged from the Army in 2007.
But his injuries set him on a new path forward. With two prosthetic legs, he set out on a mission to help other veterans.
"I run a nonprofit called the Patriot Project Foundation, and we're looking to build 100 tiny home campus for homeless veterans here in Arizona."
It's what got him here in this house. His work in the community led him to Helping a Hero, a group that works to provide specially-adapted homes for military members injured in the war on terror. It's a big deal for Bretz. Something as simple as showering is so much safer for him now.
"It's a built-in bench, and it's really stable and there's plenty of space. If they just transfer onto my bench and shower, and they even considered putting in a second shower head there."
From the pool to the kitchen, everything is built just for him and his pet scorpion, Ted.
Bretz is excited about his future. A future he didn't plan for, but from where he's standing now, it looks pretty great.
"I love having people in my house. And so I definitely plan on hosting," he said.
Many groups came together to make this possible: Lennar Homes, Capitol One, Helping a Hero and others. For more information and to nominate a veteran for the cause, head to https://helpingahero.org.