Dave and Bonnie Fondren's worst nightmare came true the day before Thanksgiving, when they received a phone call saying their son, Staff Sargeant Jay Fondren, had been in an explosion in Iraq.

"I received a phone call...and once I heard his name, I knew it was bad," said Jay's father, Dave.

"My heart just sank. I remember my brother getting injured and getting that telegram. My heart just sank," said Bonnie, Jay's mother.

The blast caused Jay to lose both his legs and severely injured his right hand. Now, Jay and his family will begin their long journey of adapting to his life with a handicap. However, to Dave and Bonnie's surprise, members of the community have stepped up to help the Fondren family out by making a website in Jay's honor.

"The town has been wonderful. People who we don't even know knock on the door," said Bonnie. "The community has wrapped around us."

So far, through the website and other mediums, more than $25,000 has been raised. It's all money that Jay will use to purchase a handicap accesible vehicle and a home of his own.

"It just warms my heart. We've always been on the giving end. Our mission field has been in Corsicana, now Corsicana wants to help us. It's the most heart warming thing," said the Fondrens.

When Jay returns to Texas, his parents say he wants to go back to school and eventually teach history, like his father...with hopes of giving back to a community that has given so much to him.

To learn more about the Fondren family, or to make a donation to the Jay Fondren fund, copy and paste the following link in your browser:

http://jay.s2technology.org/