Natural Stone Institute: R.I.S.E. Homes 43 & 44
OBERLIN, Ohio – The Natural Stone Institute recently completed work on two homes for special-needs U.S. military veterans through the R.I.S.E. (Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment) program from the Gary Sinise Foundation.
Institute members provided natural stone and fabrication services for homes in Vista, Calif., and Lutz., Fla, this summer.
The Vista location is the new home of U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Stuart DiPaolo (ret.) and his family, and the 43rd R.I.S.E. residence built with institute assistance.
During a training exercise in 2015 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, Calif., DiPaolo was navigating an all-terrain vehicle when he lost control on the weathered course. Upon jumping from the vehicle and landing on the ground, the vehicle then rolled over on its side, with the roll bar crushing his head. When medical help arrived, every bone in his face was broken and his right-side carotid artery was severed; his neck was broken and his left eye was detached from the optical nerve.
Following surgeries and setbacks in treatments, DiPaolo constantly received support from his wife Michelline and their two daughters, Kaylee and Audrey. While his left arm and left leg are paralyzed and with limited vision in his right eye after losing eyesight in his left, he is intent on being the rock in the family and serving as a mentor to other wounded service members battling physical and psychological wounds that come with life-changing traumatic injuries.
The specially adapted smart home in Vista will not only ease his daily struggles and mobility needs, but it will also enable him to spend more time with his family and supporting their needs instead of his own. Institute members Quality Marble & Granite and Andrew Lauren Surfaces assisted in the project.
In Florida, the 44th R.I.S.E. residence built with institute aid is now home to U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Romulo “Romy” Camargo and his family.
During his deployment in Afghanistan, Camargo served as second-in-command of ODA (Operational Detachment Alpha) and conducted combat operations. In September 2008, his detachment was viciously ambushed in Meydan Kalay north of Chalakor Valley; Camargo sustained a gunshot wound to the back of the neck which paralyzed him from the neck down.
He was medically airlifted to Bagram airfield and, via Landstuhl, Germany, came back to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. While at Walter Reed, doctors determined that his C3 vertebrae had been shattered and had to be extracted. His breathing was tied to a respirator, and he was paralyzed from the shoulders down.
In June 2015, Camargo and his wife Gaby founded Stay in Step Spinal Cord Injury Recovery Center, based in Tampa, Fla., to serve returning service members and veterans with spinal cord injuries and neurological disorders that cause paralysis. Their aspirations are to build a new pilot center complete with an underwater treadmill, basketball court, cafeteria, kids room, and family room. The center will also address healing the mind and soul.
Institute members The Granite Place, Concept Elite Enterprises, and Northern Stone Supply provided materials and services for the Carmargo family home.
Companies interested in getting involved with future projects are encouraged to email rise@naturalstoneinstitute.org. To learn more, and to see a list of all Natural Stone Institute members who have donated their time, products, and services to this cause, visit www.naturalstoneinstitute.org/RISE.
