SSG Bernard Teich

Comfort, TX

On February 28, 2007, Staff Sergeant Teich was serving as a combat engineer with Echo Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division in Iraq when his vehicle drove over an improvised explosive device (IED). SSG Teich sustained severe fractures to both legs, including a severed femoral artery, partial hearing loss, and traumatic brain injury (TBI).

He was evacuated to Balad Air Base before transferring to Landstuhl, Germany. Stateside, he underwent more than two dozen surgeries, including the amputation of his right leg, ankle fusion of his left leg, and extensive reconstructive procedures at Brooke Army Medical Center. Over the course of his recovery, Bernie spent three years rehabilitating at the Center for the Intrepid, relearning how to walk and adapt to daily life.

Bernie and his wife, Tiffany, are parents to Nolan, Shelby, Kenna, and Josh. Bernie enjoys golf, fishing, and spending time with family and friends. He is also actively involved with Wish for Our Heroes and the Purple Heart Project.

In his current house, Bernie must put on his prosthetic leg in the morning because he cannot navigate the house in his wheelchair. Steps outside the house also prevent him from using his wheelchair to access the outdoors.

A specially adapted custom HFOT home will allow Bernie to use his wheelchair throughout the house, giving him greater freedom to move from room to room and take pressure off his legs when needed. An accessible bathroom will allow him to use his wheelchair while showering, while automatic doors and an accessible walkway around the home will make it easier for him to enter and exit the house and enjoy the outdoors without navigating steps. These features will allow Bernie to move through his daily routine with greater independence and less reliance on his prosthetic leg.

Originally from Rhode Island, Bernie is choosing to build his home in Texas, where he currently resides.

Bernie is grateful to the HFOT donors and supporters whose generosity will help provide greater independence for him and his family. “This gift would be life-changing for my family and me. It will give us the freedom to pursue things that we could not do before,” he says.

Donate to this Veteran’s Project