Marine injured in Afghanistan receives custom Virginia home with 40 ADA adaptations

SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. — A Marine who fell 83 feet through a booby trap into a well during a raid in Afghanistan is getting a new start — in a mortgage-free, specially adapted custom home in Spotsylvania built by Homes for Our Troops.

Marine Lance Cpl. Duncan "Matty" Mathis received the keys to the home at a ceremony this week. The home features approximately 40 major ADA adaptations for wheelchair access, including wider halls and doorways, automatic door openers, roll-under sinks, stovetops and counters, pull-down shelving, generators, and safe rooms.

Mathis joined the Marines in 2011 to serve a greater purpose. During his first deployment in May 2023, he was serving with the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines when he fell 83 feet through a non-explosive booby trap into a well during a raid in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

Homes for Our Troops

The fall left Mathis with multiple broken bones and a traumatic brain injury. After numerous surgeries and extensive rehabilitation at Walter Reed Medical Center, doctors amputated his left leg below the knee. He is now medically retired.

Mathis, his wife Elise, and their daughters Sara and Natalie lead an active lifestyle — but their current home has made daily life a constant challenge. Wearing his prosthetic all day is painful, and Mathis prefers to use his wheelchair at home, but narrow doorways and hallways make navigating difficult.

"He can't even enjoy his own home," Elise said.

The new home's open floor plan and accessible appliances will allow Mathis to care for his daughters without limitations and grow his self-defense training company. Originally from North Carolina, Mathis chose to build his home in Spotsylvania to be close to his family and medical team.