Paralyzed Madison combat vet goes 'RoboCop' with bionic suit that lets him stand and walk
Wisconsin State Journal
STEVEN VERBURG
3 hours ago
Just under three years ago, a powerful bomb blast ripped the earth apart along a remote road in Afghanistan, leaving Army Sgt. Dan Rose paralyzed from the chest down.
Since then, Rose has plied Rocky Mountain powder on specially adapted skis, completed his first marathon in a wheelchair and surfed on ocean waves atop a longboard.
Now he’s ready to stand up and walk again — on a limited basis — with the help of a $128,000 “wearable robot” that was recently delivered to his Madison apartment.
The motorized, computer-assisted mechanism looks like something out of science fiction, but it’s a product of a growing medical robotics industry that offers new hope to some of the tens of thousands of people paralyzed by spinal cord injuries, strokes and other neurological disorders.
For Rose, it’s the next step in his rapid ascent from the deep depression and hopelessness that plagued him for months after he regained consciousness on April 27, 2011, looked through a window spiderwebbed with cracks in his upended armored vehicle and realized his legs were numb and lifeless.
Next month, several of Rose’s friends will be trained to help him safely maneuver in his robotic suit. Until then, Rose said, the manufacturer is withholding start-up instructions.
read more here
Showing posts with label paralyzed veterans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paralyzed veterans. Show all posts
Monday, March 17, 2014
Friday, February 28, 2014
Paralyzed Marine getting control in smart home
Wounded Marine getting a smart home
Gadsden Times
BY JOHN DAVIDSON
February 26, 2014
Retired Sgt. Ben Tomlinson of Jacksonville served in the Marines in the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion in Camp Lejeune, N.C., and deployed twice to the Helmand Province, the center of the Taliban insurgency and opium trade in Afghanistan. He was shot in the back, leaving him paralyzed him from the chest down.
His home will be a "smart home," meaning nearly every facet of the house will be able to accommodate Tomlinson. The cabinets and counter tops raise and lower and the hallways are much wider to accommodate his wheelchair.
The air conditioning, heating and lighting also can be customized, and all of the adjustable functions can be controlled through an iPad or iPhone.
read more here
Gadsden Times
BY JOHN DAVIDSON
February 26, 2014
In this Feb. 25, 2014 photo, Jacksonville High School students attend the groundbreaking of a ìSmart Homeî for retired U.S. Marine Sgt. Ben Tomlinson, in Jacksonville, Ala. Tomlinson was shot in the back, leaving him paralyzed him from the chest down. The construction of the home is a joint project involving various charities.JACKSONVILLE, Ala. -- The next steps toward helping a wounded U.S. Marine become independent happened as organizers from various charities broke ground at the site of his future home.
(AP Photo/The Gadsden Times, Eric T. Wright)
Retired Sgt. Ben Tomlinson of Jacksonville served in the Marines in the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion in Camp Lejeune, N.C., and deployed twice to the Helmand Province, the center of the Taliban insurgency and opium trade in Afghanistan. He was shot in the back, leaving him paralyzed him from the chest down.
His home will be a "smart home," meaning nearly every facet of the house will be able to accommodate Tomlinson. The cabinets and counter tops raise and lower and the hallways are much wider to accommodate his wheelchair.
The air conditioning, heating and lighting also can be customized, and all of the adjustable functions can be controlled through an iPad or iPhone.
read more here
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Iraq War veteran Tomas Young decides to live for loving wife
Injured Veteran Keeps Up His Fight, Deciding To Live
NPR
by FRANK MORRIS
December 28, 2013
A spinal injury left Iraq War veteran Tomas Young paralyzed below the waist in 2004. Further medical complications a few years later made him quadriplegic.
Although Young had enlisted two days after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, he became an outspoken anti-war activist.
KCUR's Frank Morris spoke with him in April, after Young announced he would refuse medication and his feeding tube until he died.
"I decided that I was no longer going to watch myself deteriorate," Young said at the time.
NPR
by FRANK MORRIS
December 28, 2013
"If you're in life and you start to think things are a little too rough to handle," he says, "just think of me and what I go through, and you realize that hey, I don't have it so bad."
A spinal injury left Iraq War veteran Tomas Young paralyzed below the waist in 2004. Further medical complications a few years later made him quadriplegic.
Although Young had enlisted two days after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, he became an outspoken anti-war activist.
KCUR's Frank Morris spoke with him in April, after Young announced he would refuse medication and his feeding tube until he died.
"I decided that I was no longer going to watch myself deteriorate," Young said at the time.
"I just came to the conclusion that I wanted some more time with my wife," he tells NPR's Arun Rath.
read more here
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Paralyzed soldier defies odds to become father
Paralysed soldier defies odds to become father
METRO UK
Sunday 1 Dec 2013
A soldier who was paralysed from the waist down by a sniper’s bullet has defied his doctors’ diagnosis by becoming a father for the first time.
Cpl Tony Williams was told he would never walk again and would not be able to father children after he was shot in the groin and spine in Afghanistan.
But three years on, the 29-year-old has taken his first steps – and discovered his fiancée is six months pregnant.
‘It’s a miracle,’ said Cpl Williams. ‘It’s almost made the three years of agony worth it. Life for me now is pretty sweet.
‘If there are such things as guardian angels, I definitely have one.’
read more here
METRO UK
Sunday 1 Dec 2013
A soldier who was paralysed from the waist down by a sniper’s bullet has defied his doctors’ diagnosis by becoming a father for the first time.
Cpl Tony Williams was told he would never walk again and would not be able to father children after he was shot in the groin and spine in Afghanistan.
But three years on, the 29-year-old has taken his first steps – and discovered his fiancée is six months pregnant.
‘It’s a miracle,’ said Cpl Williams. ‘It’s almost made the three years of agony worth it. Life for me now is pretty sweet.
‘If there are such things as guardian angels, I definitely have one.’
read more here
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Michigan Veteran paralyzed during boating accident has died
Veteran paralyzed during boating accident has died
Updated: Monday, August 5 2013
ALLEGAN, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – An Iraq War veteran from West Michigan who was paralyzed in a boating accident has died. 29-year-old Sergeant Christopher Schenk of Allegan served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Schenk broke his neck during a 4th of July celebration with his family in Traverse City after jumping off a boat.
read more here
Updated: Monday, August 5 2013
ALLEGAN, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – An Iraq War veteran from West Michigan who was paralyzed in a boating accident has died. 29-year-old Sergeant Christopher Schenk of Allegan served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Schenk broke his neck during a 4th of July celebration with his family in Traverse City after jumping off a boat.
read more here
Funds set up to help local injured veteran
August 3 2013
ALLEGAN, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – It was supposed to be a day of celebration, but for one local soldier it turned tragic when he jumped into shallow water and became paralyzed. Chris Schenk is a 29-year-old veteran who has served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, but he’s currently in the ICU in a hospital in Traverse City, fighting one of the hardest battles he’s faced. It was Chris Schenk’s first Independence Day home from Afghanistan, he was spending it on the lake with his family when he decided to jump into the water.
read more here
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Motorcycle riders show support for Army veteran paralyzed from the neck down
Riders show support for Army veteran paralyzed from the neck down
News 12 at 11 o'clock
By: Meredith Anderson
July 26, 2013
An Army veteran who then went into the Coast Guard is visiting Augusta, but not because he wants to. Now, a group of riders are making him feel at home.
He cannot move, but Chris Allison's story will move you.
"He has two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star," explained his wife, Sharon Allison. "He was a rescue swimmer, he saved many lives."
He cannot talk, so his wife will talk for him.
"We're practically newlyweds. We were married, it was two months," she said. "Then was out on his motorcycle one day and a woman hit him."
A month or so after the accident in Douglasville, he ended up at the Augusta VA hours from home.
Sharon has been the only one by his side since he came here until Thursday night.
"I ride with the Christian Motorcycle Association," said David Kiser. "It's one of the things God has called us to do."
read more here
News 12 at 11 o'clock
By: Meredith Anderson
July 26, 2013
Chris Allison (WRDW-TV)AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW) -- The local motorcycle community is giving back to a man who gave so much.
An Army veteran who then went into the Coast Guard is visiting Augusta, but not because he wants to. Now, a group of riders are making him feel at home.
He cannot move, but Chris Allison's story will move you.
"He has two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star," explained his wife, Sharon Allison. "He was a rescue swimmer, he saved many lives."
He cannot talk, so his wife will talk for him.
"We're practically newlyweds. We were married, it was two months," she said. "Then was out on his motorcycle one day and a woman hit him."
A month or so after the accident in Douglasville, he ended up at the Augusta VA hours from home.
Sharon has been the only one by his side since he came here until Thursday night.
"I ride with the Christian Motorcycle Association," said David Kiser. "It's one of the things God has called us to do."
read more here
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Paraplegic veteran to embark on solo row from Calif. to Hawaii
Paraplegic veteran to embark on solo row from Calif. to Hawaii
By Julie Jag
Santa Cruz Sentinel, Calif.
Published: June 7, 2013
SANTA CRUZ — Angela Madsen has shown no fear in the days approaching her impending solo row across the Pacific. When it comes to the dangers of the 2,300-mile trip scheduled to begin Saturday from the Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor and end about 80 days later in Hawaii, she recounts them like she's reading off her grocery list.
"Big storms, so the boat gets passed around — it's designed to be self-righting so it shouldn't tip over. While I'm rowing the boat I could be injured. You're tied into the boat, but if a rogue wave hits you, if you come untied, you could be lost at sea — lost at sea is a category in this sport," she says. "There's the risk of getting run over by a big cargo ship, though that's less now with AIS and satellite tracking. So mostly it's weather and giant waves. Sharks will rub up against the hull at night, but I haven't seen aggressive ones. Broken bones ..."
She pauses for a breath, then adds, "My risk is the same as anybody else's when it comes to risk at sea."
read more here
By Julie Jag
Santa Cruz Sentinel, Calif.
Published: June 7, 2013
SANTA CRUZ — Angela Madsen has shown no fear in the days approaching her impending solo row across the Pacific. When it comes to the dangers of the 2,300-mile trip scheduled to begin Saturday from the Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor and end about 80 days later in Hawaii, she recounts them like she's reading off her grocery list.
"Big storms, so the boat gets passed around — it's designed to be self-righting so it shouldn't tip over. While I'm rowing the boat I could be injured. You're tied into the boat, but if a rogue wave hits you, if you come untied, you could be lost at sea — lost at sea is a category in this sport," she says. "There's the risk of getting run over by a big cargo ship, though that's less now with AIS and satellite tracking. So mostly it's weather and giant waves. Sharks will rub up against the hull at night, but I haven't seen aggressive ones. Broken bones ..."
She pauses for a breath, then adds, "My risk is the same as anybody else's when it comes to risk at sea."
read more here
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Paralyzed, Marine fights for active duty
Paralyzed, Marine fights for active duty
Foundation raising money for exoskeleton for SpecOps Marine
UT San Diego
By Gretel C. Kovach
MAY 30, 2013
CAMP PENDLETON — The first enemy bullet blew a hole in the neck of a Marine sergeant. The second lodged in the spine of Capt. Derek Herrera, a special operations team leader who was deployed last summer in southwestern Afghanistan.
Herrera tried to pick himself up and discovered he was paralyzed from the chest down. The sergeant lying so still and silent beside him must be dead, he thought. But the other Marine came to a few minutes after teammates carried them off the mud roof. Today that sergeant is almost fully recovered and back at work.
read more here
Foundation raising money for exoskeleton for SpecOps Marine
UT San Diego
By Gretel C. Kovach
MAY 30, 2013
 |
| Capt. Derek Herrera, of 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, during physical therapy with Lt. Cmdr JD Garbrecht at Camp Pendleton. Herrera was paralyzed from the chest down when he was shot in June 2012 in southwestern Afghanistan. — Nelvin C. Cepeda |
CAMP PENDLETON — The first enemy bullet blew a hole in the neck of a Marine sergeant. The second lodged in the spine of Capt. Derek Herrera, a special operations team leader who was deployed last summer in southwestern Afghanistan.
Herrera tried to pick himself up and discovered he was paralyzed from the chest down. The sergeant lying so still and silent beside him must be dead, he thought. But the other Marine came to a few minutes after teammates carried them off the mud roof. Today that sergeant is almost fully recovered and back at work.
read more here
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Paralyzed Marine gets new way to heal
Injured Marine gets second chance exercising his passion
CBS News
By David Martin
May 8, 2013
(CBS News) WOODBRIDGE, N.J. - When America's war veterans come home, many try to pick up their lives where they left off. That can be a big challenge. One Marine corporal had the will to do the heavy lifting -- he just needed someone to show him the way.
Josh Himan is pumping iron. He's done it since he was a teenager, and by the time he became a Marine, it showed.
Then his Humvee hit a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.
"I was ejected from the vehicle and sustained multiple spinal cord injuries," recalled Himan.
He went from the peak of your physical powers to being paralyzed. Himan was 25 at the time.
"There's a lot of times where you know, you think, 'Why didn't I just die?' But I always had love and support, and that's what brought me through."
CBS News
By David Martin
May 8, 2013
(CBS News) WOODBRIDGE, N.J. - When America's war veterans come home, many try to pick up their lives where they left off. That can be a big challenge. One Marine corporal had the will to do the heavy lifting -- he just needed someone to show him the way.
Josh Himan is pumping iron. He's done it since he was a teenager, and by the time he became a Marine, it showed.
Then his Humvee hit a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.
"I was ejected from the vehicle and sustained multiple spinal cord injuries," recalled Himan.
He went from the peak of your physical powers to being paralyzed. Himan was 25 at the time.
"There's a lot of times where you know, you think, 'Why didn't I just die?' But I always had love and support, and that's what brought me through."
Until Tyler Hobson, a household name in strength training, brought in the kind of a specially designed weight machine he usually builds for NFL players.read more here
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Spc. Willie Stewart, combat wounded, hailed as hero
Wounded warrior hailed as a hero
Fayetteville Observer
By Drew Brooks
Staff writer
Army Spc. Willie Stewart wants a cigarette, but he can't find the words.
Instead, the Fayetteville native turns toward his father and taps on his arm.
"Do you need a drink?" James Wilburn guesses.
A shake of Stewart's head and the guesses continue until, a minute later, Wilburn is lighting a cigarette in his son's mouth.
Less than a year ago, it would have been absurd to think Wilburn, who suffered a heart attack in early 2012, would be the one nursing his son.
But Stewart's 6-foot, 5-inch frame is now folded into a wheelchair at a rehabilitation center in Raleigh.
His body is a shadow of its once muscular, 250-pound self, the right half paralyzed, the left half still responding to months of slow, tedious rehabilitation.
The top of Stewart's skull has been replaced by a titanium plate. His memory is unreliable. His sight is gone, never to return. His speech is coming back, but at a pace that frustrates him. Stewart knows what he wants to say, but he can't get his body to respond.
read more here
Fayetteville Observer
By Drew Brooks
Staff writer
Army Spc. Willie Stewart wants a cigarette, but he can't find the words.
Instead, the Fayetteville native turns toward his father and taps on his arm.
"Do you need a drink?" James Wilburn guesses.
A shake of Stewart's head and the guesses continue until, a minute later, Wilburn is lighting a cigarette in his son's mouth.
Less than a year ago, it would have been absurd to think Wilburn, who suffered a heart attack in early 2012, would be the one nursing his son.
But Stewart's 6-foot, 5-inch frame is now folded into a wheelchair at a rehabilitation center in Raleigh.
His body is a shadow of its once muscular, 250-pound self, the right half paralyzed, the left half still responding to months of slow, tedious rehabilitation.
The top of Stewart's skull has been replaced by a titanium plate. His memory is unreliable. His sight is gone, never to return. His speech is coming back, but at a pace that frustrates him. Stewart knows what he wants to say, but he can't get his body to respond.
read more here
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Wounded Iraq veteran gets "smart" home for the holidays
Disabled Veteran gets new "Smart" home
Posted at: 12/24/2012
By: Beth Wurtmann
AVERILL PARK - Air Force Technical Sgt. Joe Wilkinson got a first look around his new home Monday. It was custom-built to give him more independence, after becoming disabled during a tour in Iraq.
"Being here today it's truly amazing how it all came together, the community unbelievable it really hits the heart," Wilkinson said.
Paralyzed from the waist down and unable to live easily in conventional homes, a fundraising effort was launched to help.
Actor Gary Sinise, who played amputee Lt. Dan in the movie Forrest Gump, played a benefit concert at the Washington Avenue Armory. The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation and local contractors worked to build a 'smart home,' with wider doorways, and easy-to-reach thermostats and bathroom fixtures.
With the touch of an iPad in the kitchen, Joe will be able to lower customized shelves, and get his own dishes.
read more here
Posted at: 12/24/2012
By: Beth Wurtmann
AVERILL PARK - Air Force Technical Sgt. Joe Wilkinson got a first look around his new home Monday. It was custom-built to give him more independence, after becoming disabled during a tour in Iraq.
"Being here today it's truly amazing how it all came together, the community unbelievable it really hits the heart," Wilkinson said.
Paralyzed from the waist down and unable to live easily in conventional homes, a fundraising effort was launched to help.
Actor Gary Sinise, who played amputee Lt. Dan in the movie Forrest Gump, played a benefit concert at the Washington Avenue Armory. The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation and local contractors worked to build a 'smart home,' with wider doorways, and easy-to-reach thermostats and bathroom fixtures.
With the touch of an iPad in the kitchen, Joe will be able to lower customized shelves, and get his own dishes.
read more here
Friday, December 14, 2012
Marine double-amputee’s treatment on Delta flight angers other vets
Marine double-amputee’s treatment on Delta flight angers other vets
Washington Post
Posted by Annie Groer
December 13, 2012
On Dec. 13, 2011, Marine Lance Cpl. Christian Brown was leading his squad on a foot patrol in Afghanistan’s Helmand province when he stepped on an explosive device that blew off both his legs, one above the knee, the other below his hip. He also lost part of his right index finger.
Last Sunday, almost exactly a year since those grievous injuries forced him to learn to walk on two successive pairs of prosthetic legs, Brown was “humiliated” to the point of tears on a Delta flight from Atlanta to Washington after being clumsily wheeled to the back row of the plane, according to a complaint sent to the airline by an outraged fellow passenger.
Worse yet, according to retired Army Col. Nickey Knighton’s detailed “customer care” report to Delta, efforts by several fellow vets to shift Brown from coach to a first class seat offered by another flyer, were rebuffed by the crew. Flight attendants insisted no one could move through the cabin because the doors were being closed for takeoff, she wrote.
Knighton, a former helicopter pilot with nearly 30 years of service, who turned out to be seated in the same back row as Brown, assumed that because he boarded last, he would be seated up front for comfort and ease of exit in case of emergency. Instead, she wrote in a complaint obtained by “She The People,” he was squeezed into a narrow aviation wheelchair that “bumped up against stationary aisle seats as he was wheeled through the aircraft. [He] was obviously humiliated by being paraded through the aircraft and was visibly upset. I touched Brown on his shoulders and asked if he was okay. Tears ran down his face, but he did not cry out loud.”
read more here
Paralyzed OEF Marine sues over deplorable treatment at airport
Paralyzed Veteran Sues Over Treatment at Airport
Nov 14, 2012
Chicago Tribune
by Jennifer Delgado
CHICAGO -- A former Marine Corps sergeant who was paralyzed while serving in Afghanistan claims he was mistreated at O'Hare International Airport almost two years ago when airline and airport-related employees allegedly injured him and let him sit in his own urine for nearly two hours.
In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court, Sgt. Joseph Smith, of North Carolina, says United Airlines and Air Serv Corporation employees refused to help him to his seat during a layover in Chicago on Nov. 19, 2010. Smith, who requires a wheelchair to travel after being paralyzed in Operation Enduring Freedom, was headed to Colorado Springs, Colo., for training as part of a Paralympic shooting team, said his lawyer, Alexander Loftus.
Washington Post
Posted by Annie Groer
December 13, 2012
On Dec. 13, 2011, Marine Lance Cpl. Christian Brown was leading his squad on a foot patrol in Afghanistan’s Helmand province when he stepped on an explosive device that blew off both his legs, one above the knee, the other below his hip. He also lost part of his right index finger.
Last Sunday, almost exactly a year since those grievous injuries forced him to learn to walk on two successive pairs of prosthetic legs, Brown was “humiliated” to the point of tears on a Delta flight from Atlanta to Washington after being clumsily wheeled to the back row of the plane, according to a complaint sent to the airline by an outraged fellow passenger.
Worse yet, according to retired Army Col. Nickey Knighton’s detailed “customer care” report to Delta, efforts by several fellow vets to shift Brown from coach to a first class seat offered by another flyer, were rebuffed by the crew. Flight attendants insisted no one could move through the cabin because the doors were being closed for takeoff, she wrote.
Knighton, a former helicopter pilot with nearly 30 years of service, who turned out to be seated in the same back row as Brown, assumed that because he boarded last, he would be seated up front for comfort and ease of exit in case of emergency. Instead, she wrote in a complaint obtained by “She The People,” he was squeezed into a narrow aviation wheelchair that “bumped up against stationary aisle seats as he was wheeled through the aircraft. [He] was obviously humiliated by being paraded through the aircraft and was visibly upset. I touched Brown on his shoulders and asked if he was okay. Tears ran down his face, but he did not cry out loud.”
read more here
Angry yet? Wait because it isn't the first time something like this happened. It happened on a United Flight as well.
Paralyzed OEF Marine sues over deplorable treatment at airport
Paralyzed Veteran Sues Over Treatment at Airport
Nov 14, 2012
Chicago Tribune
by Jennifer Delgado
CHICAGO -- A former Marine Corps sergeant who was paralyzed while serving in Afghanistan claims he was mistreated at O'Hare International Airport almost two years ago when airline and airport-related employees allegedly injured him and let him sit in his own urine for nearly two hours.
In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court, Sgt. Joseph Smith, of North Carolina, says United Airlines and Air Serv Corporation employees refused to help him to his seat during a layover in Chicago on Nov. 19, 2010. Smith, who requires a wheelchair to travel after being paralyzed in Operation Enduring Freedom, was headed to Colorado Springs, Colo., for training as part of a Paralympic shooting team, said his lawyer, Alexander Loftus.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Paralyzed OEF Marine sues over deplorable treatment at airport
Paralyzed Veteran Sues Over Treatment at Airport
Nov 14, 2012
Chicago Tribune
by Jennifer Delgado
CHICAGO -- A former Marine Corps sergeant who was paralyzed while serving in Afghanistan claims he was mistreated at O'Hare International Airport almost two years ago when airline and airport-related employees allegedly injured him and let him sit in his own urine for nearly two hours.
In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court, Sgt. Joseph Smith, of North Carolina, says United Airlines and Air Serv Corporation employees refused to help him to his seat during a layover in Chicago on Nov. 19, 2010. Smith, who requires a wheelchair to travel after being paralyzed in Operation Enduring Freedom, was headed to Colorado Springs, Colo., for training as part of a Paralympic shooting team, said his lawyer, Alexander Loftus.
Nov 14, 2012
Chicago Tribune
by Jennifer Delgado
CHICAGO -- A former Marine Corps sergeant who was paralyzed while serving in Afghanistan claims he was mistreated at O'Hare International Airport almost two years ago when airline and airport-related employees allegedly injured him and let him sit in his own urine for nearly two hours.
In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court, Sgt. Joseph Smith, of North Carolina, says United Airlines and Air Serv Corporation employees refused to help him to his seat during a layover in Chicago on Nov. 19, 2010. Smith, who requires a wheelchair to travel after being paralyzed in Operation Enduring Freedom, was headed to Colorado Springs, Colo., for training as part of a Paralympic shooting team, said his lawyer, Alexander Loftus.
The suit further alleges that Smith dragged his own "limp body" down the aisle, causing his catheter bag to break and spill urine.read more here
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Paralyzed Vietnam veteran walks again with new brace
Miracle brace lets veteran walk again
Paralyzed patients relish ‘simple things’
By Marie Szaniszlo
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
When Theresa Hannigan was left paralyzed two years ago as a result of an autoimmune disease she had contracted while she was in the Army, doctors told her she would never walk again.
But yesterday at the AdvaMed 2012 conference, the 58-year-old Vietnam veteran pressed a button on a control device she wore on her wrist, and with the aid of a brace-like exoskeleton called the ReWalk and two crutches to help keep her balance, she stood up and set out on a stroll around the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center as onlookers gaped.
read more here
Paralyzed patients relish ‘simple things’
By Marie Szaniszlo
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
When Theresa Hannigan was left paralyzed two years ago as a result of an autoimmune disease she had contracted while she was in the Army, doctors told her she would never walk again.
But yesterday at the AdvaMed 2012 conference, the 58-year-old Vietnam veteran pressed a button on a control device she wore on her wrist, and with the aid of a brace-like exoskeleton called the ReWalk and two crutches to help keep her balance, she stood up and set out on a stroll around the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center as onlookers gaped.
read more here
Friday, August 31, 2012
Iraq war vet: ‘Now it’s time to win’ at Paralympics
Iraq war vet: ‘Now it’s time to win’ at Paralympics
By Jamieson Lesko
NBC News
LONDON -- "I love my country. I fought for it, and now it's time to win for it,” said U.S. Army Iraq war veteran Scott Winkler, who was paralyzed in 2003 while serving on a mission in Tikrit.
"When you raise your hand and you swear to your country, that is the chance you have to take. That's the biggest part of being a soldier," Winkler, now a shot putter on the U.S. Paralympic Track and Field Team, told NBC News.
Bound to a wheelchair for life, he battled depression and went through a divorce. While in recovery at the VA Augusta Spinal Cord Injury Unit in Georgia, it was a struggle to regain self-sufficiency.
"I said enough is enough. I don't want anyone taking care of me and dressing me, bathing me. ... I'm a soldier," Winkler, 39, said.
read more here
By Jamieson Lesko
NBC News
LONDON -- "I love my country. I fought for it, and now it's time to win for it,” said U.S. Army Iraq war veteran Scott Winkler, who was paralyzed in 2003 while serving on a mission in Tikrit.
"When you raise your hand and you swear to your country, that is the chance you have to take. That's the biggest part of being a soldier," Winkler, now a shot putter on the U.S. Paralympic Track and Field Team, told NBC News.
Bound to a wheelchair for life, he battled depression and went through a divorce. While in recovery at the VA Augusta Spinal Cord Injury Unit in Georgia, it was a struggle to regain self-sufficiency.
"I said enough is enough. I don't want anyone taking care of me and dressing me, bathing me. ... I'm a soldier," Winkler, 39, said.
read more here
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Best Western employee laughed at paralyzed veteran needing help
Paralyzed war veteran says hotel worker mocked his request for help
By Joshua Rhett Miller
Published August 10, 2012
FoxNews.com
A paralyzed Army veteran wants “major policy changes” from a national hotel chain following an incident in which he was mocked when he asked for help down a flight of stairs, his father told FoxNews.com.
Staff Sgt. Chad Staples, 28, was checking out of Best Western Plus Monahans Inn and Suites in Monahans, Texas, on Tuesday when he discovered the elevator was out of service, his father Robert Staples said.
The former Army sniper, who was paralyzed from the waist down after being shot in Baghdad in 2007, then called the front desk for help down the stairs from his third-floor room.
“He wanted somebody to take his bags and wheelchair down,” Robert Staples told FoxNews.com by phone from his Maine home. “Basically, the girl said, ‘Are you serious?’ He said, ‘Uh yeah, I’m in a wheelchair. I need some help.’”
The hotel employee, Staples said, replied: “’What do you want me to do about it?’ She laughed at him.”
At that point, Staples said his son used a couple “poor word choices” by using two expletives.
“He said, ‘Are you [expletive] serious? I’m in an [expletive] wheelchair,’” Robert Staples said. “He then hung up the phone and then threw his bags and wheelchair down the stairs and slid down on his backside.”
Best Western representatives, in a statement posted Thursday on its website, apologized for the incident, citing a power outage that impacted the area.
“We spoke directly to Mr. Staples and offered a full and sincere apology and reimbursed his expenses while at Best Western,” the statement read. “Best Western has been an industry leader in proactively communicating ADA requirements to its hotels and provides extensive training to address the needs of our disabled guests.”
read more here
By Joshua Rhett Miller
Published August 10, 2012
FoxNews.com
A paralyzed Army veteran wants “major policy changes” from a national hotel chain following an incident in which he was mocked when he asked for help down a flight of stairs, his father told FoxNews.com.
Staff Sgt. Chad Staples, 28, was checking out of Best Western Plus Monahans Inn and Suites in Monahans, Texas, on Tuesday when he discovered the elevator was out of service, his father Robert Staples said.
The former Army sniper, who was paralyzed from the waist down after being shot in Baghdad in 2007, then called the front desk for help down the stairs from his third-floor room.
“He wanted somebody to take his bags and wheelchair down,” Robert Staples told FoxNews.com by phone from his Maine home. “Basically, the girl said, ‘Are you serious?’ He said, ‘Uh yeah, I’m in a wheelchair. I need some help.’”
The hotel employee, Staples said, replied: “’What do you want me to do about it?’ She laughed at him.”
At that point, Staples said his son used a couple “poor word choices” by using two expletives.
“He said, ‘Are you [expletive] serious? I’m in an [expletive] wheelchair,’” Robert Staples said. “He then hung up the phone and then threw his bags and wheelchair down the stairs and slid down on his backside.”
Best Western representatives, in a statement posted Thursday on its website, apologized for the incident, citing a power outage that impacted the area.
“We spoke directly to Mr. Staples and offered a full and sincere apology and reimbursed his expenses while at Best Western,” the statement read. “Best Western has been an industry leader in proactively communicating ADA requirements to its hotels and provides extensive training to address the needs of our disabled guests.”
read more here
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Operation Tyler kicked off by Gary Sinise
Gary Sinise promotes upcoming concert
By MATT EVANS
KBIA
Gary Sinise joined others involved in "Operation Tyler" via Skype at an event Tuesday.
Gary Sinise, also known as Lt. Dan from the movie Forest Gump, will be part of an upcoming benefit concert for veterans. The Lieutenant Dan Band will be playing at Apple Creek Farms on July 27 to raise funds for “Operation Tyler.” It’s a push to put Marine Lance CPL Tyler Huffman, his wife and their two-year-old son into a new, more accessible home.
The 24-year-old Huffman was paralyzed in Afghanistan in 2010 when he was shot by a sniper.
read more here
By MATT EVANS
KBIA
Gary Sinise joined others involved in "Operation Tyler" via Skype at an event Tuesday.
Gary Sinise, also known as Lt. Dan from the movie Forest Gump, will be part of an upcoming benefit concert for veterans. The Lieutenant Dan Band will be playing at Apple Creek Farms on July 27 to raise funds for “Operation Tyler.” It’s a push to put Marine Lance CPL Tyler Huffman, his wife and their two-year-old son into a new, more accessible home.
The 24-year-old Huffman was paralyzed in Afghanistan in 2010 when he was shot by a sniper.
read more here
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Vietnam Veterans want the record straight on Born on the Fourth of July
Vietnam War veteran's 'Born on the Fourth of July' account disputed by comrades' memories
By JEFF JARDINE
McClatchy Newspapers
Published: July 4, 2012
MODESTO, Calif. — Whenever someone gives an account of just about anything, you can bet someone else will contradict it — especially when the claim involves heroism.
Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic detailed his exploits as a Marine staff sergeant in his autobiography, "Born on the Fourth of July." Tom Cruise portrayed Kovic on the big screen in the 1989 film directed by another Vietnam vet, Oliver Stone.
Rudy Molina Jr. says some of Kovic's story is just plain wrong and wants to set the record straight.
By JEFF JARDINE
McClatchy Newspapers
Published: July 4, 2012
MODESTO, Calif. — Whenever someone gives an account of just about anything, you can bet someone else will contradict it — especially when the claim involves heroism.
Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic detailed his exploits as a Marine staff sergeant in his autobiography, "Born on the Fourth of July." Tom Cruise portrayed Kovic on the big screen in the 1989 film directed by another Vietnam vet, Oliver Stone.
Rudy Molina Jr. says some of Kovic's story is just plain wrong and wants to set the record straight.
Why trust Molina? His story matches that of Florida's Dennis Kleppen, another survivor of the firefight Jan. 20, 1968, at Cua Viet, south of the Demilitarized Zone. Kovic was shot twice, the second bullet hitting him in the shoulder, lodging in his spine and paralyzing him for life. read more here
Monday, September 26, 2011
Veteran of World War II and the Korean War, paralyzed, still an athlete
U.S. Veteran Unable to Walk Proves He's Still an Athlete
Published September 25, 2011
FoxNews.com
An 83-year-old veteran who hasn’t walked in 10 years has refused to let that stop him from becoming an award-winning national athlete.
Theron Hallock, a veteran of World War II and the Korean War, recently took the bronze medal in the power chair relay race at the 31st Annual National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Pittsburgh, the Green Valley News reports.
Hallock, who turns 84 soon, and others from a group of paralyzed veterans from Tucson, Ariz., joined nearly 600 athletes from 46 states, Puerto Rico and Great Britain in this year’s games, which included 17 sports. Archery, basketball, bowling, hand cycling, power soccer, softball, table tennis and weight lifting were among the events.
read more here
Published September 25, 2011
FoxNews.com
An 83-year-old veteran who hasn’t walked in 10 years has refused to let that stop him from becoming an award-winning national athlete.
Theron Hallock, a veteran of World War II and the Korean War, recently took the bronze medal in the power chair relay race at the 31st Annual National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Pittsburgh, the Green Valley News reports.
Hallock, who turns 84 soon, and others from a group of paralyzed veterans from Tucson, Ariz., joined nearly 600 athletes from 46 states, Puerto Rico and Great Britain in this year’s games, which included 17 sports. Archery, basketball, bowling, hand cycling, power soccer, softball, table tennis and weight lifting were among the events.
read more here
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Disabled Marine Vet sues insurance company and wins
Paraplegic Marine Awarded $19 Million in Fight Against Insurance Company
Insurance Company only agreed to pay for 19 of 109 days he spent in the hospital, a lawyer said.
Updated 5:45 PM PDT, Wed, Mar 16, 2011
A paraplegic former Marine from Westminster was awarded more than $19 million in punitive damages in his lawsuit against an insurance company that denied him full coverage while hospitalized after breaking a leg, his attorney said.
A Los Angeles Superior Court jury deliberated less than two hours before finding in favor of 57-year-old Thomas Nickerson, who sued Stonebridge Life Insurance Co. for breach of contract in January 2009.
The same jury previously awarded Nickerson more than $65,000 in compensatory damages, most of it for emotional distress.
read more here
Paraplegic Marine Awarded 19 Million
Insurance Company only agreed to pay for 19 of 109 days he spent in the hospital, a lawyer said.
Updated 5:45 PM PDT, Wed, Mar 16, 2011
A paraplegic former Marine from Westminster was awarded more than $19 million in punitive damages in his lawsuit against an insurance company that denied him full coverage while hospitalized after breaking a leg, his attorney said.
A Los Angeles Superior Court jury deliberated less than two hours before finding in favor of 57-year-old Thomas Nickerson, who sued Stonebridge Life Insurance Co. for breach of contract in January 2009.
The same jury previously awarded Nickerson more than $65,000 in compensatory damages, most of it for emotional distress.
read more here
Paraplegic Marine Awarded 19 Million
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