Hollister community builds therapy pool for injured veteran, more help needed

UPDATE 3/16/2015: The construction company working on Brian Jergens therapy pool said the local American Legion and VFW are donating $5,000 each.

Contractor Paolo Benedetti said that brings the total to about $15,000 which will complete the concrete portion. But he said another $15,000 is still needed to complete the landscaping, irrigation and drainage at Jergens home.

Benedetti said a concrete company has agreed to sell them concrete at wholesale cost and will lend equipment as well.

An inspection on the pool is set for Tuesday. To help build Jergens pool, visit FundMe.com. An account was set up for this project.

PREVIOUS STORY: Thanks to a community effort, a Hollister veteran, who came home from his service in Afghanistan with debilitating injuries, could soon have a place to get physical therapy at home. But help is still needed.

A local pool contractor and veterans from the area hopes to raise enough money to build him a pool. So far, the construction company working on the pool said a few donations have come in but about $30,000 is still needed.

Paolo Benedetti, president of Aquatic Technology in Morgan Hill, said the money needs to be raised before the construction permit expires Monday, March 16. The deadline was previously reported as Sunday, March 15.

Army Medic Sergeant Brian Jergens, 26, said he returned home from Afghanistan as a double amputee. The Jergens family moved to San Benito County in 2013 after nonprofit “Homes for Our Troops” built them a house. With lower windows, and doors, it’s completely handicap accessible. What’s missing is a place where he can exercise.

“Water therapy is really helpful for him it kind of makes him weightless and he can swim around and he doesn’t have to wear his legs,” Jennifer Jergens said, wife of Brian Jergens.

Jergens has to drive 90 minutes to the Veteran’s Affairs Hospital in Palo Alto to use a pool for physical therapy.

Local swimming pool contractor Paolo Benedetti wants to change that. He’s hoping to build a place for Jergens to do his physical therapy right in his backyard.

“The pool is designed to be handicap accessible, and right here there will be a four inch waiting area where Brian can sit and play with his son,” Benedetti said.

Benedetti started construction on this 20×40 foot pool in October, collecting donations from local veterans groups for pool materials.

“And part way through construction one of the vendors backed out,” Benedetti said.

“For me and Brian it’s the speed bump is just that’s what happens, and unfortunately me and Brian have had a lot of them in our life,” Jennifer said.

Even though there is shortfall, the Jergens family is already grateful.

“I’m very very thankful, I gave up a lot for this country, and this country’s really came together to give me a lot too,” Brian said.

A FundMe.com account was set up for this project and has so far raised about $15,000. On Monday, Benedetti said $15,000 is still needed to help pay for irrigation, landscaping and drainage.