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BIRMINGHAM, AL – JUNE 13, 2015: Matthew Seals, 47, walks his dog outside his new home in the Winchester Hills neighborhood.
In April 1998, a deadly F5 tornado ripped through the suburbs of Birmingham, Alabama, killing 32 people and destroying hundreds of homes. Seventeen years later, Matthew Seals is still learning to cope with the loss of his youngest son, who was killed in the storm. With help from Habitat for Humanity, Seals completed construction on a new home in 2015, where he continues to raise his remaining children and his new life as a paraplegic. Despite his own suffering from the tragedy, Seals volunteers with Habitat to help other families find their own form of stability through home ownership. "Habitat gives you an opportunity to help yourself," Seals said. "Not just for the immediate need, but for the long term to become more self-sufficient, more self-confident, and more self-reliant."
In April 1998, a deadly F5 tornado ripped through the suburbs of Birmingham, Alabama, killing 32 people and destroying hundreds of homes. Seventeen years later, Matthew Seals is still learning to cope with the loss of his youngest son, who was killed in the storm. With help from Habitat for Humanity, Seals completed construction on a new home in 2015, where he continues to raise his remaining children and his new life as a paraplegic. Despite his own suffering from the tragedy, Seals volunteers with Habitat to help other families find their own form of stability through home ownership. "Habitat gives you an opportunity to help yourself," Seals said. "Not just for the immediate need, but for the long term to become more self-sufficient, more self-confident, and more self-reliant."
