SPC MARCO SOLT

Ramsey, MN

Mission Accomplished on Nov. 21, 2015

 
On May 1, 2012, Army SPC Marco Solt was on his first deployment as a combat engineer with the 54th Engineer Battalion in Qara Bah, Afghanistan when his vehicle drove over an improvised explosive device (IED). The blast resulted in the loss of both of his legs below the knee.

He was medically evacuated to Bagram, then transported to Landstuhl Germany. Stateside at Walter Reed Medical Center (Bethesda), he underwent months of extensive therapies and rehabilitation.

Marco credits his wife, Gina, for the progress he made in his rehabilitation. Early in recovery, Marco was frustrated by the amount of medications he was required to take in order to be pain free. He also found it difficult to be dependent on hospital staff for his daily needs. Gina helped him focus on keeping a positive attitude. “My wife wouldn’t let me mope,” Marco recalls.

Marco and Gina are proud parents to sons, Devin and Jaxon. The family’s specially adapted custom HFOT home provides a barrier-free living space where Marco can move freely from room to room from the comfort of his wheelchair. The roll-in shower allows  him to maintain his independence while showering. Gina no longer worries about him slipping on a wet floor while in his prosthetics. Every inch of the home is fully accessible, enabling Marco to help Gina around the home with chores and caring for their sons.

Marco and Gina are grateful for this life-changing gift, one that has helped their family rebuild their lives. Marco and Gina own Solt Pit BBQ, a barbecue catering business. Marco is a Jiu-Jitsu trainer and coaches his sons’ baseball teams. The family enjoys snowboarding and road-tripping together, as well as hosting summer cookouts and holiday parties in their specially adapted custom HFOT home. “Being able to have a home large and spacious enough to have a group of friends or family over to celebrate is what my wife and I really enjoy,” Marco says.

Marco and Gina would like to thank all of the donors and supporters for the gift of their “forever” home. “When this happened to us, I wondered, ‘How do we get back on the right track?'” says Marco. “Homes For Our Troops ensures that my family is taken care of in the future.”