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Thieves Target Paralyzed Colorado Veteran

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Jul 5, 2008 5:34 pm US/Mountain

Thieves Target Paralyzed Colorado Veteran

The Keils Suffer A Setback On 4th Of July

PARKER, Colo. (CBS4) ― What kind of person steals from a quadriplegic veteran on the fourth of July?

That's the question Matt and Tracy Keil are asking after thieves broke into storage units on their home site in Parker and made off with homebuilding supplies and volunteer homebuilders' tools.

The site is clearly marked as the newly built home for a veteran sponsored by the national organiation "Homes for our Troops."

Just one week ago, dozens of volunteers gathered for a 3 day "building brigade" and took the house from foundation to weather-secure frame. Volunteers from Pulte Home and other organizations worked non-stop through last weekend to make the Keils dream home a reality.

Most of the supplies for the home have been donated under through "Homes for our Troops."

By the end of last weekend, the Keils were celebrating.

On Friday, everything changed when they received word that their homesite had been vandalized and materials stolen.

"This is just too much," a tearful Tracy Keil told CBS4.

Staff Sgt. Matt Keil was shot by sniper on his second tour of duty in Iraq. The injury left him completely paralyzed. He has fought back from the injury to regain very limited use of his left hand and to breathe without a ventilator. CBS4 has featured stories about his recovery since he was admitted for treatment at Craig Hospital in Englewood in May of 2007.

The Keil family has become a symbol of hope, courage and optimism to other veterans and the public in general.

On Friday their optimism has been shaken by thieves who targeted a decorated veteran on the 4th of July.

Additional Resources

If you would like to send your support to Matt and Tracy Keil, you can contact them by logging on to their Caring Bridge Web site: caringbridge.org/visit/matthewkeil

(© MMIX CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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