Army Staff Sgt. Cody Chism and his family recently got some welcome news.
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation paid, in full, the mortgage on the Maryland family’s home and made vital smart home renovations to help him live more comfortably.
“There really isn’t a word big enough to describe the gratitude I feel,” said Chism’s wife and full-time caregiver, Vanessa. “It’s not just for what Tunnel to Towers has done for my family, but for everything they continue to do for the entire first responder and military community. We are forever grateful.”
The Chism family cut a ceremonial ribbon welcoming them back into their Emmitsburg home in a private ceremony. The couple were high school sweethearts, marrying after graduation in 2002. A year later, he enlisted in the Army as a combat medic.
“I enlisted because my grandparents served, and after 9/11, I felt a deep sense of duty to protect the American way of life and ensure that we never experience another attack on U.S. soil,” Cody said.
Upon returning home, Cody’s health declined and he was diagnosed with PTSD, multiple traumatic brain injuries, and, most recently, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).
He currently requires constant care from Vanessa and their adult children. The family relocated from Florida to Maryland for better access to medical support and had been slowly renovating their home.
The family was accepted into the Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s Smart Home Program in 2024. The program builds specially adapted, mortgage-free smart homes or renovates existing homes to help the nation’s most catastrophically injured veterans and first responders reclaim their day-to-day independence.
Renovations on the Chism’s home included an ADA-accessible master bathroom and bedroom; new ADA-compliant doors and widened doorways; deck and porch railings, ramps, and new walkways; a whole-house generator; and smart home technology, including automated lighting, audio, HVAC, and security systems.
“The support from Tunnel to Towers will provide me with the opportunity to be as independent as possible,” said Cody. “It has removed some of the financial burdens of home ownership, allowing my wife to be able to balance her life and Tunnel to Towers has provided me peace knowing that my family will always have a place to call home.”
For more information and to support the Tunnel to Towers Foundation's mission to build smart homes for America's heroes, visit here.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.