Tunnel to Towers Foundation Fulfills Mortgage and Renovates Home for Injured Kentucky Veteran

KENTUCKY [January 8, 2026] — The Tunnel to Towers Foundation is honored to announce it has paid, in full, the mortgage on the Kentucky home of injured U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal Joanna Jones and completed critical renovations to improve her safety, independence, and quality of life.

“This home allows me the freedom to medically retire without the burden of a mortgage, while managing ongoing medical treatments and a lifetime of recovery,” said LCpl Jones. “Tunnel to Towers has truly improved my quality of life, and I am beyond thankful for such an incredible blessing.”

Inspired by family tradition and the events of September 11, 2001, LCpl Jones enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 2003 at the age of 17 through the Delayed Entry Program. She later deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Phantom Fury, the Second Battle of Fallujah.

During her deployment, LCpl Jones sustained multiple traumatic brain injuries from mortar attacks and other explosions while serving as a field radio operator. The pivotal incident occurred when a mortar strike landed near her unit as she was providing communications for a convoy traveling to and from Al Taqaddum (TQ) Air Base.

Despite beginning treatment after the blast, LCpl Jones continued to serve on full duty until the cumulative effects of her injuries and toxic exposures made continued service impossible. She was honorably discharged and now receives outpatient care through the Department of Veterans Affairs for residual effects of multiple TBIs, complex PTSD, spinal stenosis, and toxin exposure.

Through the Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s Smart Home Program, the Foundation provides specially adapted, mortgage-free smart homes that enable catastrophically injured veterans and first responders to regain independence and live with dignity.

At LCpl Jones’s home, Tunnel to Towers: 

• Installed a handrail on the rear porch
• Added smart home technology in the master bedroom and main living area, allowing remote control of lighting, thermostat, and security systems
• Installed blackout roller blinds and dimmer switches to accommodate light sensitivity
• Installed a whole-house generator for emergency power
• Constructed a tornado shelter

“Tunnel to Towers has given me the ability to move freely throughout my home during chronic flare-ups,” LCpl Jones said. “I am no longer confined to one room while managing migraines and nerve pain. These changes have given me a sense of safety and security I never had before.”

On September 11, 2001, FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller laid down his life to save others when America was attacked. For 25 years, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation has honored Stephen’s legacy by supporting the heroes who continue to risk life and limb in the line of duty. 

Tunnel to Towers Support for LCpl Jones is one of 343 mortgage-free homes the Tunnel to Towers Foundation will deliver in 2026, in tribute to the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001, and the 343 members of the New York City Fire Department lost that day.

These 343 homes will be provided through the Foundation’s Fallen First Responder Home Program for the families of those who died in the line of duty, the Smart Home Program for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders, and the Gold Star Family Home Program for the families of fallen military heroes. Each home represents a life lost, a family honored, and a promise kept.

LCpl Jones expressed heartfelt gratitude to the donors and supporters who made her mortgage-free smart home possible, saying, “Thank you for the love and caring about the sacrifices endured due to invisible injuries like TBI and toxins that not everyone understands. Donors are a blessing, and may God continue to bless them as well. I’m truly thankful with my whole heart.”

To support Tunnel to Towers’ mission to stand with America’s heroes and the families they leave behind, visit T2T.org and consider donating $11 a month.