Baths for the Brave 2021 Recipients- Meet Jerome & Miriam Thomas
NEWPRO Home Solutions (NEWPRO), a third-generation, family-owned and operated home improvement solutions provider, will surprise local veterans Miriam & Jerome Thomas with the gift of a brand-new bath system, free of charge. Nearly a dozen home improvement companies from across the country have joined together to create this one-day special event- Baths for the Brave – to help improve the lives of veterans who sacrificed so much for our country.
Although Miriam & Jerome went to high school together, their love story did not start there. After graduation, Jerome went right into the Marines and Miriam went to college and later joined The National Guard. During this time, they lost contact with each other. After reconnecting on social media years later, Jerome showed up on Miriam’s doorstep and said “I’m ready- let’s become a family”. And now, five children and a loving home later, the Thomas family resides in Andover, MA, and is getting ready for NEWPRO to replace their old, leaking bathtub with a brand-new one!
In 2003, Miriam got a call that changed her life forever: she was being sent to New Jersey for training to prepare for deployment to Iraq.
- During her 8 years in the army (including a one-year tour in Iraq), Miriam was a multimedia illustrator and later, a combat lifesaver. As a combat lifesaver, Miriam’s prime responsibility was to provide soldiers with IVs and keep them safe until they could get to a medic. It was from this experience that Miriam knew upon returning to the U.S, she wanted to pursue a career working with people who were dying. She wanted to become a hospice nurse in order to make people as comfortable as possible.
Jerome served in the USMC for 4 years as an air traffic controller.
- Being a part of the JROTC in high school inspired him to join the Marines. During boot camp, he enjoyed seeing how Marines carried themselves and knew that he wanted to be the same way. His favorite memory from his time in the service is all the traveling that his job allowed him to do, starting with being stationed at Parris Island, South Carolina all the way to Japan. After his time in the military, he worked in IT & as a notary.
Not only did Miriam & Jerome both serve their country, but now they are serving the local community as foster parents. Wanting to make people comfortable is also what inspired Miriam to become a foster mother in the first place. “As long as I have breath in my lungs, my life has a bigger purpose,” said Miriam. “I don’t want to just live my life for me. I want to raise kids to be better people so they can grow up to raise better people and so on. Our home is a place of love and I always want people to feel comfortable here.”
These two veterans are both so happy, just knowing that this new bath is going to provide their family both a comfortable & safe bathing experience. Upon hearing that they were selected, Miriam couldn’t help but shed some tears. They are so honored to have been selected for the 5th annual Baths for the Brave event in New England!
More information on Baths for the Brave is available at www.bathsforthebrave.com.
