LCpl Duncan “Matty” Mathis

SPOTSYLVANIA, VA

In 2011, Duncan “Matty” Mathis joined the Marines to serve a greater purpose.

On May 19, 2013, during his first deployment, Lance Corporal Mathis was serving with the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines, when he fell 83 feet through a non-explosive booby trap into a well during a raid in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

Matty sustained severe injuries from the fall, including multiple broken bones and traumatic brain injury (TBI). After numerous surgeries and extensive rehabilitation at Walter Reed Medical Center, doctors amputated his left leg below the knee.

Now medically retired, Matty and his wife, Elise, are parents to daughters Sara and Natalie. While they lead an active lifestyle, their current house is non-adapted, and Matty faces challenges in the cramped layout. Wearing his prosthetic all day is painful, and he prefers to use his wheelchair at home, yet narrow doorways and hallways throughout make navigating difficult. “He can’t even enjoy his own home,” Elise says.

Receiving a specially adapted custom home with an open floor plan and accessible appliances will enable Matty to care for his daughters without limitations. The mortgage-free home will allow him to grow his self-defense training company.

Originally from North Carolina, Matty is choosing to build his home in Spotsylvania, VA to be close to his family and medical team.

Matty would like HFOT donors and supporters to know he is grateful for their support. “It’s fantastic to be with an organization that follows through on their promises and genuinely cares for Veterans and their families.”

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