Oberlin, Ohio—The Natural Stone Institute has provided natural stone and fabrication services for another home through the Gary Sinise Foundation’s R.I.S.E. program (Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment). The R.I.S.E. program builds specially adapted smart homes for severely wounded veterans and first responders. To date, Natural Stone Institute members have been involved in thirty completed homes.
Natural stone and fabrication services for US Army Captain Greg Galeazzi and his family were provided by Marble and Granite, Inc. and Ontra Stone Concepts.
Greg was deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan in the summer of 2010. Quickly into his deployment, he volunteered to take over a platoon who had lost their leader to a roadside bomb. On May 26, 2011, Greg was heading back to base with his platoon after leading a foot patrol when he was hit by an improvised explosive device (IED). Greg lost both of his legs and part of his right arm. His soldiers kept him alive while they waited 30 minutes for the MEDEVAC helicopter to arrive. Greg woke up three days later at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. He underwent dozens of surgeries and endured many additional complications before he was able to live on his own.
Today, Greg is a medical student at Harvard Medical School and looks forward to starting life in his specially adapted smart home.