HOUSTON (FOX 26) -
With a constant smile and a slow limp, Marine Lance Corporal Jesse Medina walked up the driveway to his new home for the very first time.
Shouts of "Merry Christmas" greeted Medina as he muttered, "This is awesome."
This is truly a homecoming.
Family, friends and total strangers lined up to greet the wounded war hero. He had no idea this house would be his. It was given to him at no cost by the Texas Sentinels Foundation and Bank of America.
"We want to make sure we're taking care of people that are taking care of us," said Patti Abshire of Bank of America.
"The thing that's real special about this home is Lance Corporal Medina was injured on Christmas Day last year," said Richard Filip, founder of Texas Sentinels Foundation. "His family unfortunately got the call on Christmas morning."
The call was one no military family wants to get. Medina, a young husband and father, had been on patrol in war-torn Afghanistan. His life changed forever when he stepped on an IED, injuring his arms and losing a leg but not his faith or spirit.
"That happened in Christmas," said his father, Oscar Medina. "So I think he's going to have another big Christmas."
This time, Christmas will be spent in the comfort of his brand new home, with his wife and bubbly little boy at his side.
"This is probably going to be the best Christmas that we could ever ask for," said Megan Medina.
Her husband agreed.
"You want to say something but you don't know what to say," he said. "It's just, 'thank you,' and you don't think that's enough."
