A Fresh Start For an American Hero

In 2008, Corporal Ryan Garza enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and was deployed with Combat Logistics 8 in Afghanistan. He volunteered for three additional tours, experiencing daily firefights and continuous improvised explosive device (IED) attacks as the war escalated.

During his final mission on October 3, 2011, Ryan was riding in a seven-ton truck when it was hit by an IED. “It blew up directly under me,” Ryan recalls. “I broke eight bones, dislocated 13, and shattered my foot and ankle.”

Ryan spent the following 13 months in intensive rehabilitation at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego and sustained a leg amputation one year later.

“It was very hard, and I had years of pain. I was angry for a long time,” he says. “But once I started giving life a try, things started working out and getting better for me. I realized that quitting is not an option. Times are going to get tough, but they’ll always get better.”

And that’s where Operation TBI Freedom (OTF) came into play. 

OTF Lends a Hand

“Because I had a hard time trusting people, I was very skeptical about getting involved with outside organizations,” Ryan says. “But OTF stepped in to help me with everything I needed.”

OTF, a Craig Hospital program, helps post-9/11 veterans and service members living with brain injury optimize benefits and access needed services. OTF also provides direct services not available elsewhere to address crises and to position veterans for long-term success.

“At the time, I was heading back to school, and OTF helped me with many of my education requirements that I struggled with, due to my traumatic brain injury,” Ryan explains. “OTF was persistent in frequently checking on me to ensure my needs were being met. They even encouraged me to try snowboarding—an activity that I had always wanted to experience.”

He adds, “OTF truly saved me. They feel like family and helped me get my life back. I feel so grateful that they believed in me.”

And Ryan’s gratitude didn’t stop there.

Home Sweet Home

This spring, Ryan celebrated the groundbreaking of his new wheelchair-accessible house in Sterling Ranch, a master-planned community in Littleton, Colorado, just south of Denver.

In collaboration with OTF, Bass Pro Shops, Lennar Homes and Helping a Hero—a nonprofit organization providing support for severely injured military personnel—sponsored a single-story, 2,600-square-foot adaptive model featuring four bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms. In addition to a roll-in shower, Ryan’s home—which should be completed this fall—will have a roll-under sink, wide doors and hallways, and other safety features that will enable him to have complete freedom inside the home.

“It has always been my dream to have a house with a bathroom and kitchen to accommodate my disability,” Ryan says. “This home is beyond anything I have ever imagined. I am incredibly grateful to OTF, Helping a Hero, Lennar, Sterling Ranch and Bass Pro Shops.”

According to Steven Smith, OTF’s Military Programs Coordinator, “America’s sons and daughters represent the best our nation has to offer. They are America’s treasure, so let us not forget that our freedom was paid for by those who sacrificed so much, just like Corporal Ryan Garza.”

Ryan shares, “This is just a dream come true. It means everything to me. It’s something I always wanted but just never thought was possible.”