Soldier, bombing survivor receives new recovery area

The community provided resources for an addition to his mother's home.
SYLVANIA, Ohio (AP) -- A soldier who was the only survivor of a car bombing in Iraq has a new home and a new start.
Volunteers donated money, time and supplies to build a $100,000 addition to his mother's house that will allow Matthew Drake to continue his recovery from injuries that nearly took his life.
His family was overwhelmed by the generosity.
"It is really humbling, inspiring, and, in the true sense of the word, awesome," said Lisa Schuster, the soldier's mother. "It breaks my heart why we need this."
Extensive injuries
Drake, a former Army specialist, was injured Oct. 15, 2004, in a suicide car bombing near the Syrian border that killed two members of his Army Psychological Operations team along with a U.S. Marine and their Iraqi translator.
He was almost unrecognizable and being kept alive by machines. He suffered skull and brain trauma, a fractured vertebra and a collapsed lung. He also broke his sternum, clavicles and right arm.
In a coma after the bombing, he has had multiple surgeries. The injuries damaged Drake's short-term memory. He did not remember the bombing or anything that happened from about a month before the attack.
Drake, a wrestler in high school who was a certified personal trainer before joining the Army, still can't get around without the help of a walker and he has trouble speaking with ease.
Living space
Before Drake enlisted, he lived in his room in the basement of the family home in suburban Toledo. The new addition to his mother's house has a bathroom and living space.
Sean Savage, one of the organizers who helped raise money for the addition, said the idea was to create a place where family members can help Drake and where he can have a level of independence.
The idea started with Savage's son, Drew, who first heard about the war injuries from his teacher at St. Joseph School in Sylvania. "I thought about it and then told my parents," Drew said.
Drake's family and the volunteers had a party Saturday to welcome him home from a private rehabilitation center in Michigan. "The first night was awesome because I was back home," he said.
The party was dubbed "Matthew's Independence Day."
"Today is proof that hope triumphs over tragedy," Savage said.
Drake said he holds no anger toward the war or the military. "I would recommend the military to anyone," he said. "Yeah, I got hurt. Oh well."