"Overwhelmed." "Disbelief." "Surreal." That is how U.S. army Specialist Andy Jones and his family felt after receiving their brand new mortgage-free home, designed specifically to accommodate Jones' medical needs.
The exclusive holiday Fox Nation special, "A Very Building Homes for Heroes Christmas," profiles one of the many military families who have been given a new start by Building Homes For Heroes, which is a non-profit organization that builds and remodels homes uniquely tailored for wounded Veterans.
Jones' Humvee was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade during a 2007 deployment to Iraq. He sustained serious injuries, including traumatic brain damage, but it was the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that he developed that made his return home to his wife Leigh and their young son a difficult one, he explained.
"I knew I'd had a long road to go," Jones said of his return home. "What kept driving me was I had a son and a wife. I need to get better, take care of myself. PTSD, the scariest feeling is knowing that you're always in danger. Your mind is constantly running 10,000 miles an hour. You're worried about where your back is facing...is it facing the glass? Is somebody looking at you ready to take a headshot at you? You always wonder about your family, making sure they're protected. It's a daily struggle."
Leigh, a medical assistant in the Air Force, was not familiar with the challenges of PTSD, she explained, but she began to research what would become her new reality.
"I had not dealt with PTSD, so it was a completely new experience," she said. "I had to do some research on it to try and figure things out, and I'm still figuring things out. If he falls asleep on the couch, I can't wake him up by shaking him. I know that there are certain things that he doesn't like to talk about, so I avoid those subjects."
Jones, a Purple Heart recipient, eventually received an honorable discharge from the military but was unable to seek work due to his condition. Instead, he committed to raising his son full time at home while Leah remained active military -- but the life of a military family is often a nomadic one, which comes with its own set of challenges.
"We've moved a lot in the military, never had a place that we could actually call our home...it was just a temporary place to stay," Jones explained.
Despite their various living conditions -- which included an RV outside a military base in Texas -- the Jones family made the best of their situation, they explained.
"We're super thankful for what we had. Whether it was in the camper or in a house or an apartment...we were able to adapt," Jones said.
Celebrating the holidays was a struggle in itself, but the unsettled lifestyle and close quarters would not stifle the family's holiday spirit.
"Me and my son are like little elves on Christmas," Leigh said. "Growing up, my mom wasn't really too big on decorating for Christmas so now that I am the mom, I make sure that it's something that we take the time to do. I think I put up a string of Christmas lights or two and we had a tiny Christmas tree that took the place [of] the coffee maker on the counter."
Building Homes for Heroes founder Andy Pujol got wind of Jones' inspiring story, and together with his team, and granted them a place to finally call home this Christmas as a part of his effort to gift 16 homes in 16 weeks leading up to the holiday.
Remodeling a home that was donated to the organization, Pujol's team pulled out all the stops for the military family, gutting bathrooms and redesigning bedrooms to compliment their needs.
The unrecognizable home included a hot tub for Jones that had been prescribed by his doctor to help with his condition. In a tribute to Leigh, the home was adorned from top to bottom in Christmas decor, featuring two full-size decorated trees and over 200 poinsettias in the yard.
"What we try and do is to make this home as beautiful, as comfortable, as possible, bring them into the community, make sure that the neighbors know them...we wrap our arms around all that," Pujol said.
"Every time we give a home, it's Christmas. It's not always Christmas time, but the homes around Christmas, we always to take that extra care and attention and decorate the homes for Christmas," he added.
In a large ceremony on the day of the reveal, Building Homes for Heroes was joined by the New Bern, NC community, including first responders, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Veterans groups, contractors and elected leaders to present the Jones family with their new home.
"As I was driving down the street, I was looking out the window and I saw just tons and tons of people standing there, smiling and clapping, and it was just overwhelming. Many people came out, all these people, and they're all here for my family," Jones said.
"I'm so excited. I guess I feel like a 10-year-old [waiting] for Christmas the next morning," he added.
" I think I'm feeling a little overwhelmed, disbelief...feels a little surreal for this to actually be happening," Leigh said.
Thanks to Building Homes for Heroes, last year's Christmas on the road would be the last for the Jones family.
"I can't believe that this is actually ours," Leigh said. "I almost pinched Andy just to make sure I wasn't dreaming. I couldn't have decorated it any better myself."
"Andy from Building Homes for Heroes, he's like Santa Claus for sure," Jones added. "We cannot believe that this is happening and happening to us. We're just blown away. This Christmas is by far the best Christmas ever."
Highlighting their story, Pujol appeared on "Fox & Friends" Monday to discuss the success of his organization, which completed its 225th home this year since its launch.
"You guys would all love him," Pujol said, referring to Jones. "If you look into his heart and his soul, you could see him struggle, you could see him suffer, but when he smiles, he lights up the room, and we're watching him heal."
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