Melissa Doyle can’t remember all the times when her husband Tony phoned during his deployment with the U.S. Army in Iraq. But she will never forget the day he didn’t call.

When she didn’t hear from him as expected, Melissa says, “I knew something wasn’t right.”

It wasn’t. Tony had been severely wounded in the line of duty. And as a result of his injuries, he lost his left leg below the knee.

After Tony’s five-month hospitalization, the Doyles moved to San Antonio, where Tony could continue outpatient treatment at the Center for the Intrepid, a specialized rehab facility for military veterans who have lost limbs or suffered terrible burn injuries.

Caring for Tony along with three young children meant Melissa couldn’t work full-time. And that meant a financial struggle. “The expenses piled up, our credit card debt went up, and everything just spiraled,” Melissa says.

The family caught a break, thanks to Home for Our Troops, an organization that builds mortgage-free, specially adapted homes for severely injured veterans. But because of their unstable financial situation, the Doyles initially did not meet all the criteria to qualify for the program.

Home for Our Troops — an organization supported by the Foundation for Financial Planning — offered to pair the Doyles with a pro bono financial planner. “We needed the help,” Melissa says.

Their volunteer planner, Susan Williams, helped the Doyles create a budget and equipped them with tools they could use to pay their bills and manage their finances. Now, on more solid financial footing, the family is building their new, mortgage-free home.