100 Homes, 100 Stories: Honoring Major Jeremy Haynes, Home #61

As we prepare to welcome the 100th severely wounded hero into their new mortgage-free specially adapted home, we continue honoring the heroes whose stories have shaped the heart of our mission. What started as Gary’s personal efforts and grew into the Gary Sinise Foundation’s home building initiative, we’ve had the privilege of serving those who have sacrificed greatly, restoring not just mobility, but dignity, independence, and family connection.

U.S. Army Major Jeremy Haynes, recipient of Home #61 in Fairfax, Virginia, embodies that spirit in every sense. This is his story.

A Call To Serve

A native of Albany, Georgia, Jeremy Haynes felt the call to serve after witnessing the attacks on September 11, 2001. That moment of national tragedy became a personal turning point and in 2004, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant into the Quartermaster Corps after graduating from Georgia Military College.

Over the years, Major Haynes served in some of the most respected units in the U.S. Army, including the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and the 82nd Airborne Division, as well as the Army Logistics University and the Combined Security Transition Command in Afghanistan. He deployed in support of both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

In August 2014, while serving as an aide-de-camp to a general officer in Afghanistan, Jeremy’s life changed forever.

Wounded In Service

On August 5, 2014, an Afghan military policeman opened fire, striking Major Haynes four times. The bullets severed a critical vein that carries blood to the heart and caused a traumatic brain injury, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. Nearly 80% of the nerves in his lower body were destroyed. Doctors told Jeremy that he would never walk again. His wife, Chelsea, was three months pregnant with their first child.

Despite devastating injuries and years of grueling recovery, Jeremy’s resolve never broke. He eventually regained limited movement with the use of leg braces and canes. With every step – both literal and metaphorical – he redefined what was possible.

A Home Tailored For Healing

In 2020, thanks to your support, the Gary Sinise Foundation was honored to provide Jeremy and his family with a mortgage-free, specially adapted smart home in Fairfax, VA. Designed from the ground up with his needs in mind, this became the 61st completed home.

Before construction even began, Jeremy and Chelsea created a detailed wish list: wide hallways, accessible bathrooms, and seamless movement from room to room – features that had once seemed like luxuries had become daily necessities. Every element, down to the height of the kitchen table, was measured specifically for Jeremy’s comfort and access.

“The extra inches in the widened doorways, allow me to interact with my kids in their own space,” Jeremy said. For the first time in years, he could pray with his children at their bedside, read bedtime stories in their rooms, and be present not just as a parent, but as an active participant in their lives.

Life-Changing Access

Before the specially adapted home, Jeremy had to rely on his wife, Chelsea, herself an Army Reserve Drill Sergeant, to physically move him in and out of the bathtub. Every ask weighed heavily on him, emotionally and physically. “Each time she helped,” Jeremy said, “I felt like I was slowly breaking her body.”

Now, with grab bars, automated features, and a thoughtfully designed layout, Jeremy can care for himself and fully engage in the rhythms of home life.

“The home continues to empower me to take back what was lost,” he shared, “It energizes me to redefine things I was told I’d never be able to do again.”

Powered By Technology, Built On Hope

From the moment Jeremy rolled through the front doors of his new home in 2020, he described the feeling as crossing a finish line after running a marathon. “I can begin to rebuild with my family,” he said.

The house is equipped with smart home technology that centralizes daily tasks such as adjusting lighting, temperature, and appliances, all controlled through an iPad.

“My brain was equipped for an ‘84 Chevy,” Jeremy joked, “This home is like a Ferrari.”

With daily tasks simplified, Jeremy now has more energy to focus on what matters most, his health, his family, and his future.

A New Chapter

Years after the attack that forever altered his body, Jeremy reflected on how far he’s come – and how much farther he can go. “This home is an instant impact that continues to be a life-changer, for our family,” he said.

Today, Jeremy Haynes is not just a soldier who survived, but a father fully present, a husband reenergized, and a man empowered to live on his own terms.

To support heroes like Jeremy and his family, please consider donating today.