CARROLL COUNTY, Md. — A Maryland veteran who served nearly two decades in both the Marines and the Army was given the keys to his brand-new, mortgage-free smart home on Thursday — a gift that left his entire family in tears.
WATCH: Carroll County Veteran receives mortgage free smart home in Mt. Airy
Staff Sergeant Frank Laguna, a San Antonio native, sustained a severe spinal injury during an Army training exercise that left him with permanent nerve damage and limited mobility. After 18 years of service, Laguna was medically retired, but his commitment to family and faith never wavered.
On Thursday, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation honored that service by welcoming the Laguna family, Frank, his wife Candace, and their children, into their newly renovated home in Mount Airy.
The house was built through the foundation’s Smart Home Program, which provides specially adapted, mortgage-free homes to catastrophically injured veterans and first responders.
The moment the family arrived, emotion filled the air. Candace said she had been holding back tears on the drive over, but the second the front door opened, “the waterworks came.” Their son Antonio described the home as “absolutely beautiful,” while their daughter Aunabella said she already felt “welcomed into the neighborhood.”
The new smart home features automatic doors, widened hallways, a wheelchair-accessible shower, and an open floor plan — all designed to enhance Laguna's independence. He said one of the biggest blessings was finally being able to move his wheelchair in and out without his wife or sons having to lift it for him.
Candace added that the accessible shower means fewer risks and fewer hospital visits — a sense of peace they haven’t felt in years. “We just don’t want any more surgeries or breaks,” she said. “This home gives us security and hope.”
The Lagunas said the call from Tunnel to Towers came when they least expected it. They had been struggling to find a home that met their family’s needs when the foundation told them to “stop looking.”
Candace recalled pulling the car over and putting the representative on speaker so her children could hear the words, “You have a home.”
As they walked through their front door on Thursday, surrounded by cheering neighbors, volunteers, and other veterans, Laguna said he was overwhelmed with gratitude. “This was a complete blessing we were not expecting,” he said.
The family hopes their story inspires other veterans who may still be struggling to reach out for help. “Don’t isolate,” Candace said. “There are people and organizations who want to help. Everyone deserves peace and happiness.”
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation has built or renovated hundreds of mortgage-free smart homes across the country, giving America’s injured heroes a place to heal, live, and dream again.