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Charity pays off mortgage for a Gold Star family
It was a Veterans Day to remember for one local Gold Star family after an organization stepped in to pay off their mortgage. Now the family reacted to the generous gift and why it means so much to them.
SOUTH FULTON, Ga. - A South Fulton family is celebrating a major gift this Veterans Day after the Tunnel to Towers Foundation paid off their mortgage in honor of their fallen loved one.
The Perryman family says the life-changing surprise gives them peace of mind as they continue to heal from their loss.
"I was just like, really, you chose us? It was like my Christmas present, my birthday present," she said. "It just didn’t matter because it helped me realize that I don’t have to have the pressure of that anymore."
What we know:
Elaine Perryman and her husband, fallen Army Staff Sergeant Lloyd Perryman Sr., bought their South Fulton home nearly 15 years ago. She became the head of household in 2021 after her husband died from a pulmonary embolism.
"March 29th, we got the call, and I had just talked to him like I’m talking to you," she recalled. "It was shocking. I didn’t know what pulmonary embolism was. I had to research and find out."
The backstory:
Since her husband’s passing, Elaine has worked to keep up with the mortgage while also planning for her children to attend college. This year, she learned one of those big responsibilities would be lifted thanks to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
The organization honors the legacy of fallen service members by providing mortgage-free homes to surviving military spouses with young children. The Perryman family applied through the group’s Gold Star Family Program to be considered for the gift.
They were one of 25 families awarded a mortgage-free home for Veterans Day.
The Source: The Perryman family spoke with FOX 5's Annie Mapp.