WESTCLIFFE, CO — A Colorado family that lost a paramedic in a head-on crash has received a powerful measure of relief: the remaining mortgage on its home has been paid off.

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation stepped in earlier this month to wipe out the balance for widow Justine Booth-Fernandez and her daughter, Journey, after the death of EMS Paramedic Alfredo Fernandez. He was killed on Oct. 19, 2024, while driving his personal vehicle just a few miles north of Westcliffe.

The crash happened during one of the area’s first snowfalls of the season, when wet snow on warm pavement made roads slick. Another driver survived the collision and was taken to the hospital.

A fatal morning drive changed a young family’s future

Fernandez’s death left behind a wife and a young child, deepening the shock felt by neighbors, coworkers and others in the community. He had spent more than a decade answering emergency calls for the people around him, according to Tunnel to Towers Chairman and CEO Frank Siller.

The foundation described Fernandez as someone who spent his career helping people on their hardest days. In its statement, Siller said it was now the organization’s turn to support the family during its own hardest day.

That response reflects the foundation’s broader mission. Tunnel to Towers says it focuses on first responders’ families and homeless veterans so they have a stable place to live when tragedy strikes.

Tunnel to Towers tied the gift to its Fallen First Responder Home Program

The mortgage relief came through the group’s Fallen First Responder Home Program, which is designed to pay off the homes of first responders who die in the line of duty or from 9/11-related illnesses and leave young children behind.

For the Fernandez family, that means one of the biggest financial burdens after Alfredo’s death has now been lifted. The organization said the home will give Justine and Journey the stability and security he worked so hard to provide.

That kind of assistance is part of a much larger effort. Tunnel to Towers says it has paid off more than 1,700 mortgages and has provided housing help to 20,000 homeless veterans.

Justine Booth-Fernandez says the support left her speechless

Justine Booth-Fernandez said the gesture overwhelmed her with gratitude. She said she was speechless and thankful not only to the organization, but also to people she had never met who helped make the gift possible.

She called it an incredible gift for her family and said she hopes to honor it by passing kindness along to others. Her words reflect how deeply the family has felt the generosity that followed Alfredo’s death.

For a household still living with grief, the mortgage payoff offers more than financial help. It also provides a sense of stability at a time when routines and expectations have already been upended.

The foundation’s mission traces back to a firefighter’s 9/11 sacrifice

Tunnel to Towers takes its name from New York firefighter Stephen Gerard Siller, who rushed through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel in his gear on Sept. 11, 2001, and headed toward the World Trade Center towers in an effort to save others.

The foundation says Siller’s life and death continue to shape its work. It points to his devotion to family, his faith and his belief in doing good while there is still time to do so.

That legacy now shows up in practical help for families like the Fernandezes. In all, the foundation said it paid for homes for 55 families in 18 states to mark the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

A wider effort to help first responder families and veterans

The Fernandez mortgage payoff is one example of how the foundation directs donations toward housing assistance. Along with its work for bereaved first responder families, the group also supports homeless veterans who need a safe place to live.

Its leaders frame that work as a way to keep families from losing their home after a tragedy. For Justine Booth-Fernandez and Journey, the result is immediate and personal: the family can remain in the house without the stress of the remaining mortgage.

The foundation’s website provides more information for anyone who wants to learn about the organization or contribute to its efforts. For the Fernandez family, though, the impact is already clear in one deeply meaningful outcome: home secured, one burden removed.

Real, uplifting stories from across America – GCHS Eagle's Eye.