PLEASANT GROVE, Ala. (WIAT) — A local veteran is getting a special gift just in time for Mother’s Day.

Retired Army Private First Class Teuila Lobendahn and her family got the keys to a brand-new home Thursday.

It is a welcomed relief for the mother of eight. Last year, Lobendahn said her family was struggling to make ends meet. They were behind on rent and living in a rundown home that didn’t accommodate her growing family.

But thanks to Building Homes for Heroes, Lobendahn and her husband are now the owners of a mortgage-free home. This organization gifts mortgage-free homes to veterans and emergency first responders.

Lobendahn said this is the best gift a mother can receive and hopes for a better future for her family.

“I’m overwhelmed. I mean, I’m excited and overwhelmed,” Lobendahn said. “I’m so grateful. I mean, this is not what I expected. Like I expected something great, but this is, I don’t know — this is beyond words.”

She served in Afghanistan and was exposed to burn pits causing several health complications. Through this program she said she can now focus on her health and raising her family.