Two tours in Iraq left James Wilson with several injuries.
"I got blown-up twice, I got shot twice," said Wilson, who now lives in Crystal Lakes. "I got burned over 50 percent of my body. The ear that went deaf was my right ear. I'm blind in my right eye. I got a traumatic brain injury, back injury, knee injuries.”
His injuries have kept him from making much-needed repairs to his home.
The siding was falling off the house, the furnace didn't work and the home needed new windows.
Wilson was also trying to put his life together to get custody of his 8-year-old daughter, Lilly.
"She helps take care of dad, at times, because there are times dad can't do a lot. And she's there, she's my little rock," said Wilson.
When Bill Eckert heard Wilson's story he wanted to help.
Eckert runs KAMO Adventures, a non-profit group dedicated to helping veterans.
"It's amazing how you meet different people along this journey and everybody feels so blessed to be a part of it," said Eckert.
Eckert has recruited the help of several companies: Owen Lumber, which helped with the deck; Ply-Gem, which did the siding and windows; and A.B. May, which replaced the heater.
That's just the start.
Dozens of volunteers also helped rehab the home.
"It's been an emotional roller coaster ride with this transition," Wilson said. "It’s been a miracle itself."
The home now has new siding, new roofing, a new deck, new windows and doors, and the furnace is fixed.
Wilson also now has custody of his daughter, who lives with him in the newly refinished house.
"It's overwhelming," Wilson said.
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Richard Sharp can be reached at richard.sharp@kshb.com.
