Coming Home: Addition for Tomy Parker nears completion
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RONAN - “I want Tomy to be able to come home, home,” father Tim Corbett said. “By finishing this he can finally come home.”
Parker’s home for now is at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, Calif. Parker, a 2008 Ronan graduate was injured last December, when an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) detonated beneath him in Afghanistan. Parker’s left leg was amputated at the hip, and his right leg amputated above the knee. He also lost all four fingers on his left hand. When Parker came home for the first time in February, a benefit held by the community raised more than $70,000 for the wounded warrior.
According to Corbett, during Parker’s previous visits, it’s been a hassle to keep his son at a Polson motel, instead of with the family.
“We’d have to load him up and take him there at night,” Corbett said. “Sometimes he’d call us because he was in pain, so we’d head up there and help with his medicine. It’s going to be nice to have him home.”
As Parker rehabilitates, Corbett is busy building his new home; an addition onto their house. Since an article was published in a Missoula newspaper a month ago about the addition, Corbett’s phone has been ringing off the hook with people from around the state interested in offering their services.
“It’s been awesome,” Corbett said. “The amount of help has been mind blowing. I didn’t expect to do this as fast as we are.”
Generous contributions from community members and construction companies has helped finish specialty jobs such as wiring, lighting, and roofing in a short amount of time. So far the project has gone smoothly and the home near completion. Parker is scheduled to return Labor Day weekend.
“People have been so generous,” Corbett said. “I told them we’d pay for everything, but a lot of companies have given us free labor.”
In three weeks, the addition has gone from a concrete foundation to a home with walls and a roof for the wounded warrior.
On Saturday, Aug 27, Missoula resident Melvin Moon came to the house to help paint the ceilings and walls. Since retiring eight years ago, Moon has been actively involved with Habitat for Humanity. In that time Moon has helped construct 23 energy star homes for those in need.
“I saw the ad and figured I’d come help out,” Moon said.
Also traveling from outside Ronan was Butte couple Garrett and Cathy Miller, who also have a son in the Marine Corps, serving in Okinawa, Japan.
“The Marines have a saying that, ‘Once a Marine, always a Marine,” Cathy said. “I feel it’s the same way with the families of Marines.”
The Millers have made three visits to Parker’s new home, often staying overnight to help for a couple of days. They have helped construct the floors, walls, interior framing, and painting on the addition. Garrett comes from a construction background, offering his years of experience to make the progress go quickly.
“It was just a foundation when we got here,” Garrett said. “It’s come a long way. Tim’s been a busy boy. It’s amazing to get it done in a short amount of time.”
The couple plans on returning to Ronan once Parker arrives Labor Day weekend for his one-month leave from San Diego.
“It will be so wonderful for all of them (family) to finally be together under one roof,” Cathy said.
Back in San Diego, Parker continues his long journey to rehabilitation. Currently he is in the middle of learning how to walk on his new legs. Instead of wearing computer legs, Parker is wearing the cutting edge power knees. The technology is so new; Parker has had trouble with the technology working properly all the time, resulting in multiple falls.
“He’s the fourth person to ever wear two power knees,” Corbett said. “The manufacturers are still figuring things out.”
Power knees communicate with each other, which will help out Parker’s mobility once all of the bugs are worked out, and Parker becomes accustomed to his new legs.
“He can now pop up out of a chair and can go up and down stairs,” Corbett added. “In the long run we think they’re going to be really good legs for him.”
When he visited in June, Parker could only swim 500 meters. Two months later Parker has the stamina to swim 1,300 meters.
“He’s so smooth in the water and he really likes it,” Corbett said. “He even did a little bit of surfing.”
Parker has also taken a liking to hand cycling, and will be training during his month-long visit for a marathon. In November, Parker will begin working on his left hand, where four of his fingers were lost in the explosion. According to Corbett, swelling and tissue in his hand has decreased, allowing for Parker to undergo surgery to remove excess skin. Soon thereafter, he will receive his prosthetic hand.
