Daniella Maciel de Souza has a compelling story. Ever since she was 11 years old, she wanted to join the U.S. Army, be a fireman, or become a police officer. When it was time to choose in 2002, she chose to enlist in the Army. She was stationed at Fort Jackson, SC, for her Basic Training and was able to continue at Fort Jackson for her AIT training to become a Human Resource Specialist.
In January of 2004, Daniella deployed to Baghdad as part of the rebuilding process. After completing her tour in Iraq, Daniella returned home and was honorably discharged in 2005.
Daniella’s reintegration into civilian life was at times difficult. She initially had a hard time adapting to the time change and she suffered from nightmares. It took some time, but Daniella feels good about where she is now. As a single mom, she has worked hard to provide a safe life for her two small children.
In fact, she has a daughter, age 11 and a son just 3 months old. Oddly enough, Daniella had just arrived at work in Austin, Texas, via a 3-hour commute when she went into labor. An ambulance was called, but she never made it to the hospital. Her son was born in the ambulance en route.
Eleven days after her baby was born this past August, Daniella lost her home in a fire. She was inside her house with her two children when the fire broke out in a shed in the backyard located close to the home. Her 11year old daughter discovered the source of the fire. They were fortunate enough to get out in time to avoid smoke inhalation and the flames.
Purple Heart Homes is working with Daniella through the PHH Home Ownership Program and will be providing Daniella and her children a renovated three bedroom home. This home will come with a mortgage based on 50% of the appraised value.
Purple Heart Homes would like to acknowledge the partnership with The Victory Cup for providing assistance with the renovations, along with USG Insurance Services, Inc. / Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation for their participation.
Daniella speaks proudly of her dream of homeownership. She had been searching for a full time job for over two years, and now has one, and is at this moment looking forward to finally living her dream. When expressing her gratitude, she said, “I am so grateful to Purple Heart Homes and everyone involved in the process. This is a huge blessing for my family. The home is very spacious and very nice.”
Daniella, thank you for your service to our country. Purple Heart Homes is honored to help make your dream a reality. We welcome you and your family into our Purple Heart Homes family.
