Florida woman, 85, donates home to Army vet injured in Iraq

ajc.com

The gesture is something that Travis said he will never be able to pay back.

For the last week, the three-bedroom house with a pool has been under renovation.

"It's the beginning of the largest chapter of my life. It's the best part of my life," Travis said.

Travis spent 15 months in Iraq. He watched two friends die, and he suffered a brain injury after a grenade hit his Humvee.

Travis is set to receive the Purple Heart.

A woman whom he's never met, Tinky Stewart, 85, is giving her house to Travis to show her gratitude for his sacrifice. Stewart is the widow of a Marine.

"I'm of the age where it takes very little for me anymore. So, I thought, 'Why not donate it to a nice veteran and his family?'" Stewart said.

For the last week, the Lifetime TV show "Designing Spaces: Military Makeovers" has been giving the home a complete renovation.

For Travis, his wife and two daughters, the home will mean the end of countless moves, courtesy of the U.S. Army. It will finally be a home upon which they can build.

"She's an angel for what she did. I can't say thank you enough. I could say it a hundred million times and it still wouldn't be enough to show the gratitude I have toward her," Travis said.

The house will be mortgage-free.

The episode on the makeover will air in October.