A fund to assist Army Sgt. 1st Class Sualauvi Tuimalealiifano in making his home handicapped-accessible has been established with Bank of Hawaii. Those wishing to help can make a donation to The Sualauvi Tuimalealiifano Fund (Wounded Warrior) at any Bank of Hawaii branch in the state.

The fund was set up after an outpouring of support from many who read about Tuimalealiifano and his involvement with the Tripler Army Medical Center's Warrior transition unit — one of 36 such units designed to provide critically needed support for wounded soldiers.

As reported in The Advertiser on Monday, Tuimalealiifano, 30, was paralyzed from the neck down from injuries suffered after his elite Army Special Operations team was ambushed by Taliban fighters in Southern Afghanistan in 2007.

Following months of treatment at various military hospitals, Tuimalealiifano, who remains a quadriplegic, re-enlisted and has recently been assigned to a work program at U.S. Pacific Command at Camp Smith. He devotes his free time to talking with returning soldiers who have been wounded in action.

Tuimalealiifano is trying to raise the $178,000 necessary to make his home handicapped-accessible. The Veterans Administration has committed to providing $60,000 of the sum. But the VA money won't arrive until after Tuimalealiifano has secured the rest of the money.

He is one of 256 "Warriors in transition" assigned to the Warrior unit at Tripler. He is also part of the battalion's "wounded warriors" program, which is made up of a cadre of 120 specialized personnel who assist with the rehabilitative requirements for Tuimalealiifano and others with severe injuries.

The transition units had become necessary because advances in body armor and medical treatment techniques meant injured service members, such as Tuimalealiifano, were surviving in far greater numbers than at any time in recorded modern combat.