Hot Tub Is ‘Crown Jewel’ of Home Makeover for Purple Heart Recipient

By: Allison Stevens

In 2009, Veteran Christy LaVallee found herself at a crossroads. In her early twenties, she was pursuing a bachelor's degree in criminal justice at Frostburg State University in Western Maryland while also considering a career in the US military. Ultimately, her desire to serve prevailed: She left college and enlisted in the US Army Reserves.

After packing her bags and leaving her dorm in the Appalachian highlands, she completed bootcamp and trained as a military police officer. A year later, she received deployment orders to Kandahar, Afghanistan, a city at the heart of the Global War on Terrorism—and one of the most dangerous places in the world.

Today, LaVallee, a decorated combat Veteran, continues her journey of healing. As part of a full home makeover, Navy Federal Credit Union gifted her a new hot tub—providing a much-needed source of comfort and relaxation. “It’s like a strong hug,” LaVallee said.

LaVallee’s physical injuries date to a day in 2010 when she was making rounds at area military checkpoints, a routine duty. During one stop, a grenade exploded near her truck, releasing what she vividly recalls as a perfectly formed, miniature mushroom cloud. The blast threw her head back and caused her to temporarily lose her hearing.

She bolted out of her truck to help her fellow soldiers, who were rushing toward her like “a bunch of linebackers.” As she did, she tripped on her truck door and fell 10 feet to the rock below, landing directly on her knees. Despite excruciating pain, she got up and helped her fellow soldiers into the truck. She hit the gas, speeding to the nearest medical center while cradling an injured soldier seated next to her—and saving his life. Then she blacked out.

“I had no idea how I did all those things at once,” she said.

The wounds from that day pale in comparison to what she experienced a few months prior, when she witnessed a young Afghan girl lose her life to an improvised explosive device (IED). “She turned into dust before my eyes,” LaVallee recalled. “You never recover from that.”

A Strong Hug

LaVallee served many more years before transitioning into civilian life. She has since gone back to college and earned that bachelor’s degree while also receiving multiple awards and commendations for her bravery in service, including the Purple Heart. She is among a relatively small group of women who have received the prestigious medal.

For more than a decade, LaVallee walked the beat as a police officer and dispatcher in West Palm Beach with the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). On account of chronic knee pain, she shifted into her current dispatcher role.

Her new hot tub eases joint pain and other conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression and insomnia. “I’m always on edge,” she said. “With this hot tub, I can finally relax. It’s helping my entire self.”

The outdoor spa was at the top of her wish list when she learned she had been selected to participate in Military Makeover with Montel Williams®. Williams, a Veteran of the US Marine Corps and Navy, leads a team of home improvement professionals who renovate Veteran-owned homes, a mission close to his heart.

LaVallee’s home in West Palm Beach—which she shares with partner Abbey Roberts, along with four cats and two dogs—is featured this season, with episodes airing Fridays at 7:30 am EST on Lifetime TV from Feb. 28 through March 28 (with each episode re-broadcasting the following Thursday at 7:30 am through April 3). Navy Federal is a presenting sponsor this season; the hot tub—a special gift of the credit union—was revealed on March 21 during the season’s fourth episode.

Raising the Roof

LaVallee is the first female Purple Heart recipient to participate in the show, offering Navy Federal a “great opportunity” to help a Veteran in need, said Kevin Parker, Navy Federal’s Vice President of Field Mortgage. That’s at “the core of who we are and what we do.”

Part of Navy Federal’s mission, he added, is educating members of the military community about the benefits they’ve earned through service, such as the availability of no-down-payment home loan programs offered through the US Department of Veterans Affairs. (Learn more about home loans and mortgages offered by Navy Federal.)

“For us, it’s about financial literacy and education,” Parker said, adding that he hopes the episode spreads awareness about financial products and services that are tailored to the military community. “This is a good opportunity to do just that.”

For the project, the Makeover team literally raised the roof at LaVallee’s three-bedroom, three-bath home in the suburbs. A team of designers, contractors, landscapers and other professionals elevated the ceilings and replaced the asphalt roof shingles; modernized electrical, plumbing, air conditioning, heating and water purification systems; fixed up floors and walls; renovated the kitchen and bathrooms; installed new pet-friendly furniture; and landscaped the backyard around the new hot tub.

Meanwhile, the team put up LaVallee and family at a nearby rental home—and even sent them on a fishing trip for some R&R.

Just before Christmas, a crowd of friends, family and local community members welcomed LaVallee, Roberts and their menagerie to the reveal, to air on March 28.

The house, which LaVallee had purchased years before Roberts moved in, finally feels like a home, Roberts said. The whole experience, LaVallee added, has been overwhelming. “I’m not used to people giving me things or doing things for me. It was truly spectacular.”

Learn more about Navy Federal’s home loan and other products and services. Catch the full season and LaVallee’s inspiring journey at MilitaryMakeover.tv or on the Military Makeover with Montel YouTube channel.

100% financing subject to all VA rules, guidelines, and additional program requirements. All loans subject to approval. VA loans may include a funding fee, which may be financed up to the maximum allowed loan amount. Navy Federal has no affiliation with U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or any other government agency.