An Omaha group is raising money to help heroes coming home with severe injuries.
The non-profit has started fundraising with the goal of building a $10 million long-term care center in the metro for veterans.
In the 80 acres of corn stubble along Rainwood Road in Douglas County, an idea is growing to help our wounded heroes.
“This has been a horrific war and TBI, traumatic brain injury, has been a signature wound of this war with the IEDs and severe amputations and spinal injuries,” said retired Marine Corps Col. John Folsom.
Folsom is the president of Wounded Warriors Family Support, a non-profit he founded in Omaha.
He told KETV NewsWatch 7 his group believes the location in the middle of the country is convenient for veterans and their visitors.
Plans for phase one include a 16,000 sq. ft. facility with 20 beds.
It’ll be called Dunham House, named after Corp. Jason Dunham, who died in 2004.
Folsom said Dunham deliberately covered an enemy grenade to save nearby marines.
“We’re going to honor Jason and his memory with the idea that I very much believe: That no greater love hath a man or a woman for his or her friends than to lay down one’s life,” said Folsom.
Folsom shared the idea was planted years ago, when he saw a soldier living with traumatic brain injury.
“The thought that I had is that, ‘What’s going to happen to him when his mother can no longer take care of him? Who’s going to take care of this young soldier?’” asked Folsom.
The group hopes to develop the facility into a healing campus as more veterans come home with life-changing injuries.
“We have an obligation forever to take care of these veterans, and that’s what we’re going to do,” said Folsom.
Wounded Warriors Family Support hopes to open the first phase in December 2020.