Sgt Christopher Lawrence

Wesley Chapel, FL

A ninth grader who watched the 9/11 attacks unfold on the classroom TV, Chris Lawrence felt compelled to serve his country after high school graduation. In 2005, he enlisted in the Marines.

On August 17, 2007, Sergeant Lawrence was serving as a fire team leader with the 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 1st Marine Division, in Al Anbar, Iraq, when he was injured on a foot patrol by an improvised explosive device (IED) blast, resulting in severe damage to his legs and left arm, internal injuries, tinnitus, and traumatic brain injury (TBI).

He was medically evacuated to Al Asad Air Base before transferring to Landstuhl, Germany, where he remained in a coma for a week. Stateside at Bethesda Naval Medical Center, he underwent numerous surgeries and extensive rehabilitation to save his legs and left arm. In March of 2008, his right leg was amputated below the knee, and the toes on his left foot were amputated in August of the following year.

Chris works as a police officer in his community and enjoys spending time with his wife, Michelle, and daughters, DeliaMarie and Cristiana. Their current multilevel home is not wheelchair accessible, forcing Chris to wear his prosthetic. “The bedrooms in my current home are upstairs, which causes many challenges when I have leg or back issues,” he says. A specially adapted custom HFOT with a single-level layout will allow him to access the entire home from his wheelchair. “When I have bad days, an accessible HFOT home would allow me to stay useful when I use my wheelchair,” he says.

Originally from Wisconsin, Chris is choosing to build his home in Florida for the climate and to be close to friends.

Chris would like to extend his gratitude to HFOT donors and supporters. “Thank you for your kindness and generosity. Your support will provide me and other Veterans with the ability to live more independently, supporting our continued recovery, and enabling us to fully engage with our families and communities,” he says.

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