They built a safe, veteran and his family

When former Marine Wayne Hues was paralyzed in an accident and his family needed help modifying their home, Joe Levitch not only offered his services for free, he also gathered a squad of volunteers to help!

- Bill Holton

June Shoemaker, Wayne's sister, is grateful to Joe Levitch for his kindness

Wayne Hues climbed out of bed in the middle of the night and headed to the bathroom. But he stood up too quickly, and reaching the bathroom door, he swooned and fell forward. The 6'4”, 280-pound former Marine's forehead landed hard against the wall, bending his neck so far back, his airway pinched shut. Wayne could barely breathe to call for help.

"I can't feel my legs!" he shuddered. At the hospital, the news was grim. "Your husband's neck is broken," doctors told Wayne's wife, Christine. "We're taking him to surgery, but we don't know how much it will help."

Wayne was left with partial use of his right hand and a little feeling in his left. He didn't need a respirator, but it would take several months of rehab before he'd be ready to go home.

Joe Levitch, owner of Levco Builders, gives Wayne a tour of his new, safe home

"Our house is two stories!" Christine panicked. "His wheelchair won't even fit through the front door. We have to figure out a plan!"

Hope on the horizon

Christine sold the family's Boise, Idaho, home and signed a contract for a one-story house already under construction in nearby Meridian. "It will need modifications," Wayne's sister, June, explained to the contractors, but they weren't helpful. "We can't make changes," they told the family. "We have to deliver the home exactly how it is in the contract."