U.S. Army Sergeant Joanna Ellenbeck and her daughter, Parker, are celebrating this 4th of July in their new mortgage-free custom home in The Woodlands Hills, complete with its own flag pole. Several area companies gave them this life-changing gift due to the veteran's sacrifice to her country.
“It was truly heartwarming to watch U.S. Army Sargeant Ellenbeck and her daughter enter the front door of their new home,” said Steve Sams, Senior Vice President of Master Planned Communities, Residential for Howard Hughes. “We are honored to partner with Operation Finally Home, Century Communities, Greater Houston Builders Association, the Houston Texans, and many other organizations to build the Ellenbecks’ new home. They are such a deserving family, and we are pleased to welcome them as the newest neighbors in The Woodlands Hills.”
Growing up in a family with a long history of military service, Joanna Ellenbeck always knew she was destined to serve her country. She is the fourth generation in a row to be in the military, starting with her great-grandfather, who served in WWII. Ellenbeck enlisted shortly after the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, and served eight years and six months, including three combat deployments: one to Afghanistan and two to Iraq.
Serving with the 25th Infantry Division, Ellenbeck worked mostly as an avionics mechanic repairing helicopters, and she learned quickly that the harsh realities of war were never far away. Once, when on guard duty, she and a fellow service member discovered a wounded man hidden in a truck bed. As Ellenbeck began to render first aid, the man attacked her. Later interrogations revealed the man was a terrorist.
Her years of service took its toll in scars that are both visible and invisible. She suffered a debilitating back injury during her 2004 deployment and also suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, tinnitus, a sciatic nerve disorder, sensory deficits in both lower legs, and knee pain. Ellenbeck’s doctors believe her service-related injuries will one day require her to use a wheelchair.
This is one of the reasons the Ellenbecks moved from Arizona so they could live closer to family and friends. This will help provide Ellenbeck’s young daughter with the medical, therapeutic, and educational support she needs. Parker was born blind, has cerebral palsy, and uses a wheelchair.
The Ellenbeck family was initially surprised on December 18, 2022, during a Houston Texans game, when they learned they were receiving a custom-built, mortgage-free home constructed by Century Communities on a home site donated by Howard Hughes in The Woodlands Hills.
Fast-forward to 2024, and it was finally time to see the end results and receive the keys to their new home. During the unaveiling ceremony, Lee Kirgan, Vice President of Operation Finally Home, spoke of the sacrifices that veterans make every day to serve our country. By the time they return, many veterans have sacrificed their bodies, minds, and futures.
“How can we possibly do enough to repay them for what they have done for us?” Kirgan says, "We are building hope.”
The efforts of everyone involved were well-received.
“I can't say how much this changes the outlook of the rest of my life,” said Ellenbeck, “Thank you from the bottom of my heart!”