Triple amputee Marine sergeant gets a custom-designed 'smart home'

Retired Marine Sgt. Michael Nicholson, 24, lost both legs and his left arm to an IED while on foot patrol in Afghanistan in 2011. On Thursday, he received a custom-designed, specially adapted house not far from MacDill Air Force Base.

Nicholson worked closely with builders to design the home with critical amenities to make his daily life easier. The kitchen has an adjustable cooktop and countertops, shelving drops down to a reachable distance, heating and cooling is controlled by an iPad, the closet is big enough to allow him to turn his wheelchair around, and the bathroom provides easy wheelchair access.

The home was donated by Building for America's Bravest, a joint program of the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers and the Gary Sinise Foundations, and its donors including philanthropist Mrs. Veronica Atkins, Carpet One, General Electric, Shubert Design, the Semper Fi Fund, Hope for the Warriors, among others.