Facilities Maintenance students have taken part in building a new home in Granby,MA volunteering for Homes for our Troops.
Marine Sergeant Joshua Bouchard was on his second deployment when he lost his left leg and broke his back after his vehicle drove over a pressure plated IED in Helmand Province, Afghanistan on July 8th, 2009. While out on a night mission, Sgt. Bouchard and four other Marines were injured in the blast; two of his team did not survive their injuries. Ejected from the vehicle, Sgt. Bouchard’s left leg was severed by the gun turret, causing a traumatic amputation. When he hit the ground, his back was broken by the impact and he suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury. Lifesaving measures were performed and a tourniquet applied by one of his injured comrades helped stop his loss of blood. A British Royal Marine performed a direct person transfusion on-site to keep Josh from dying on the battlefield. Unconscious, Sgt. Bouchard was treated at a local hospital before being airlifted to Landstuhl, Germany where he spent two weeks being stabilized for transport to Bethesda Medical Center. Two weeks later he arrived at McGuire VA Medical Center in Richmond, VA and began his intensive rehabilitation, spending 11 months in therapies before being transferred to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC where he remains at this time.
Sgt. Bouchard enjoys the outdoors. He plays wheelchair rugby and loves music. He enjoys “messing around” with turntables and likes to Disc Jockey. Josh’s goals include learning to walk with as little assistance as necessary, furthering his education, and spending time with his family.
Sgt. Bouchard says he is looking forward to “readjusting to my life,” and living in a specially adapted home that is built to suit his needs. Presently his laundry is located in the cellar and his hallways are too narrow for his wheelchair. He will be glad to no longer need a ramp to enter his home. “Receiving this home from Homes for Our Troops will give me new sense of freedom and take away the worry about where I will live and if my home is accessible to me. Thank you for what you do to help our nation’s injured veterans.”