SFC Tuimalealiifano suffered a spinal injury as a result of a firefight in Afghanistan in mid-2007 which resulted in quadriplegia. SFC Tuimalealiifano is still on active duty and hopes to continue doing so to play an active role in helping similarly wounded soldiers get through the physical and emotional pain of these life altering injuries. As a result of the injury,SFT Tuimalealiifano's wife was forced to quit a lucrative career in the medical field in order to care for Tuimalealiifano full time.
The debt and limited accessibility that accompanied the injuries forced the Tuimalealiifano's to rent out their 2-story home and move in with their in-laws ranch home which had to be modified with an accessible bedroom and bathroom. They had to purchase a new van to be adapted to accommodate a wheelchair, the VA assisted in the purchasing of accessibility equipment, but not the purchase of the van.
The Heroes' Fund assisted the Tuimalealiifano with a payment towards the principle of the vehicle.
Marine CPL Daniel John served in Ramadi, Iraq from September 2005 to May 2006 where he suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury. Due to his TBI and related PTSD, CPL Daniel John has had trouble finding a job and has had a financial hardship due to his service. The North Carolina Heroes Fund was happy to award CPL John with a financial hardship grant.
Jaasmin Hunte of Raleigh is the North Carolina Heroes Fund’s first scholarship recipient. Jaasmin is the daughter of Deryck Hunte who has served in the U.S. Air Force for more than 22 years. He has served in the Gulf, Korea, Singapore, Japan and is currently in Bitburg, Germany. Jaasmin and her three younger sisters have sacrificed being so far from their father, so much of their lives. Jaasmin’s scholarship will assist her next year as she enters her sophomore year in college. In her first semester, she earned a 4.0 GPA.
SSG Derek Drew enlisted in the United States Army in 1998 and served honorably for 9 ½ years. His most recent assignment was as an artillery non-commissioned officer with the 1st Armor Division out of Fort Riley, Kansas. SSG Drew served two tours of duty in Iraq. In his most recent tour, SSG Drew was injured in IED explosion in Taji, Iraq in November 2005. In the explosion, his leg was crushed just above the knee. The doctors were able to save the leg, but it no longer functions properly. His foot was broken in several places, and he is unable to bend his foot or his toes. He also suffered a hand injury and lost a knuckle in the same explosion.
