Injured Asheboro veteran gets new home

ASHEBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — A Randolph County veteran who was injured in Iraq is just one day away from getting a new house.

On Friday afternoon, Joshua Craven received a house tour that he has humbly and eagerly awaited for more than a year.

And on Saturday, it’ll finally be a place that his family can call home.

Craven first deployed to Iraq in 2009 as a military police officer in the Army.

Towards the end of his tour in August 2010, Craven was driving the lead vehicle in a convoy when an explosive detonated on the driver’s side.

As a result, he lost his left leg and sustained severe damage to his right leg with paralysis below the knee.

“When I got injured I thought I was a stud and that I could navigate life normally,” Craven said. “That’s not the case. I do have physical limitations. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized it’s not easy to do things the hard way.”

The nonprofit Homes For Our Troops stepped in to help Craven by building him a home in Asheboro that fit his needs. Executive Director Bill Ivey says Craven’s home is the 364^th they’ve built.

“What we do is that we build a specially adapted home that is completely accessible for veterans while they’re still in their wheelchair. What that does for them is restore the freedom and independence that they lost while defending our freedom and independence while in Iraq or Afghanistan,” Ivey said.

The new home will feature several adaptions based on Craven’s injury.

It includes widened doorways and a roll-in shower.

“The current house I live in is kind of like a prison. It’s inaccessible via wheelchair. Getting around and doing daily tasks and just being a part of family is hard to do in the house I live in now,” Craven said.