By Jeremy Weldon

The national nonprofit organization, Homes For Our Troops (HFOT) has announced a  specially adapted custom home will be built for a Batesville man disabled while serving in Afghanistan.

Army First Lieutenant Marcus Rice, the son of Sylvester and Willie Rice, was chosen by the non-profit organization to receive a new home that will allow him more independence.

The community is invited to attend a kick off event Saturday, Aug. 10 to meet the Rice family and participate in the celebration of the new home.

The event will be held at The Wilbourn Building, 106 Court St., at 10 a.m. The public is welcome to attend. The new home will be built in northeast Batesville. The exact location will be kept private until the kick off event.

On Dec. 5, 2011, 1LT Rice was serving in Afghanistan as a signal corps officer with the 580^th Signal Company, 25^th Signal Battalion, when he collapsed after a four-mile run during PT. Doctors later diagnosed him with sudden cardiac arrest complicated by anoxic brain injury.

The brain injury caused paralysis from the waist down and weakness in his arms. He also experiences memory loss, seizures, and difficulties in speech from his injury.

Rice received treatment at the James B. Haley VA in Tampa for a year before returning home to Batesville,   where he currently lives with his parents. In his free time, he enjoys working out, watching sports, and going to the movies. He has taken up handcycling and has participated in several races.

In a fully accessible Homes For Our Troops home, Rice said he will regain his independence. The lowered countertops and pull down shelves will allow him to reach for a drink or snack on his own. His parents look forward to their son having more freedom, and spending more quality time with him in an open living space.

The home being built for Rice will feature more than 40 major special adaptations such as widened doorways for wheelchair access, a roll-in shower, and kitchen amenities that include pull-down shelving and lowered countertops.

The home will also alleviate the mobility and safety issues associated with a traditional home, including navigating a wheelchair through narrow hallways or over thresholds, or reaching for cabinets that are too high.

HFOT has built over 280 homes since the organization’s inception in 2004. Homes For Our Troops relies on contributions from donors, supporters, and corporate partners for the building of each veteran’s home. Community members may hold fundraisers or make donations.

To find out more on how to get involved or make a donation visit www.hfotusa.org.  According to the group’s website, HFOT builds homes where the Veteran chooses to live, and continues its relationship with the veterans after home delivery to assist them with rebuilding their lives. Since its inception in 2004, nearly 90 cents of every dollar spent has gone directly to program services supporting veterans

More information about the Rice family’s ordeal, and a video explaining the need for the new home is available at www.hfotusa.org/marcusrice. The video is an emotional interview featuring the Rice family and is easy to view from any computer or internet capable device.

Cutline:   1st Lt. Rice