STEVENSVILLE — Thursday was a special day for a former Montana Highway Patrol trooper, whose life was upended nearly six years ago in a series of shootings near Missoula.
Trooper Wade Palmer was ambushed and critically injured near Evaro Hill on March 15, 2019, while looking for a man who shot three other people just hours before. He was then airlifted to Utah.
But fast forward over five years to December 12, 2024, when an organization that builds houses for America's injured military members and first responders — Tunnels to Towers — is welcoming Palmer and his family into a new home.
MTN's Emily Brown is in Stevensville to share why this is so much more than a hero's homecoming. "You know, just we're here and it is a coming home," shared Trooper Palmer's wife Lindsey.
The Stevensville-based Palmer family has been recovering after Wade Palmer was injured in a surprise attack. Now, the family was given a special first look and welcome to their new home courtesy of the Tunnels to Towers Foundation.
"[The Palmer's] love Montana, they love serving their community. It's the least we can do in paying them back," former FDNY Battalion Chief John Carroll told MTN.
The mortgage-free smart home can be controlled with a phone. “The recipient gets their independence and some dignity back in their lives and it frees up the rest of the family so they don't have to have 24-hour care,” detailed Carroll.
The house is specifically tailored to Wade's needs and he was excited walking through it. "Everything in this home is perfectly set up for Wade and anything that his future could hold," said Lindsey.
It is set up with everything from wide hallways that can fit a wheelchair to a touchless sink and a special bathroom.
"Just being able for him to feel comfortable in his own home and have a place where he can be and be safe and have access to everything that he needs is the most amazing feeling in the world," explained Lindsey.
The community has consistently rallied around the couple and their two kids.
"Everybody in this town has been so supportive of us and even not just in this town but in Missoula and the valley and everywhere. Knowing that they're still behind us, even 5.5 years later, it's an amazingly awesome feeling," stated Lindsey.
