The Gary Sinise Foundation’s Restoring Independence, Supporting Empowerment (R.I.S.E.) program designs and donates specially adapted smart homes to severely wounded veterans and their families across the country.When the foundation heard about Gunnery Sergeant Guillermo Tejada’s heroism from a fellow R.I.S.E. home recipient, it decided to take action immediately.While on foot patrol on his third tour in Afghanistan, Tejada stepped on an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), losing both of his legs and severely damaging his hip cavities. After countless surgeries and intense rehabilitation, Tejada now lives as a double amputee in San Antonio, Texas.“Tejada was referred to Gary Sinise Foundation’s R.I.S.E. program by fellow specially adapted smart home recipient Travis Green,” says Judy Otter, executive director of the Gary Sinise Foundation. “Once accepted into the program, the Tejada family chose a property in the same neighborhood as the Green family. We are very excited to see this come full circle and see members of the GSF family become neighbors and support each other in their daily life.”The main goal when designing the Tejada family’s new home was to provide GySgt. Tejada with full independence by allowing him to use every inch of his home.To do so, the Gary Sinise Foundation turned to their team of dedicated partners, including Core Brands and Texas Hill Country smart home automation system design and integration company Sterling Home Technologies, to create a user-friendly smart home connected by an ELAN Entertainment and Control System.“The involvement of Core Brands, Sterling Home Technologies and all of our generous supporters allows us to build more homes for deserving wounded heroes and their families nationwide,” says Scott Schaeperkoetter, director of operations, R.I.S.E program. “On the Tejada project specifically, this involvement provided us the ability to include the special adaptations necessary to empower GySgt. Tejada to be able to access and utilize everything in his new home.”Connected Homes Give Back to Wounded VetsCore Brands regional account manager Ashley Parkinson reached out to Sterling Home Technologies with a request to automate the smart home.In order to the make the home as comfortable as possible, Sterling Home Technologies integrated all the home’s technology – entertainment, motorized shades, security, lighting, and HVAC systems – into the ELAN system.“My partner has a brother who is disabled from the chest down,” says Chris Edelen, owner of Sterling Home Technologies. “We designed and installed a smart home system into his home, so the Gary Sinise Foundation’s project was right in our wheelhouse. Additionally, I had been looking for ways to get involved in San Antonio, or ‘Military City U.S.A.,’ since I come from a big military family.”Photo Gallery: Go Inside GySgt. Tejada’s Connected Home“Often times these wounded heroes are very limited in their current living situations due to the overall design of their home, carpeted areas that do not allow wheelchairs to move freely, appliances that aren’t accessible, and components that they cannot easily control due to their locations,” adds Schaeperkoetter. “Specifically, Core Brands and Sterling Home Technologies helped mitigate this last issue by providing the components necessary to automate their new home and bring all the major systems together with the ELAN system.”“GySgt. Tejada can control all of these major systems with the touch of a few buttons on his iPad, smartphone or touch screen,” he adds.
