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Rockville, Maryland, January 12, 2023 /PR Newswire/ — David Ortiz I have never been afraid of a challenge. He was an avid outdoorsman before joining the Army and became his pilot of the Kiowa Helicopter of the 82nd Airborne Division’s Combat Air Brigade.of Eastern Afghanistanthe Kiowa pilots took many risks to protect the men on the ground. February 2012David suffered a hard landing, destroying the aircraft, breaking his leg and sustaining extreme trauma to his spine, throat and lungs.
David’s memory is spotty from just before the crash to his arrival at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, but he remembers another pilot, a fellow Texan, pulling him out of the crash.
“So it was intense. When you go from being a hard-charging, over-achieving aviator in the 82nd Squadron to not being able to pick yourself up, it’s a bad day. It’s a game changer. If they hadn’t gathered around me, I wouldn’t have succeeded.”
That community was primarily centered around the hospital at Brooke Army Medical Center in Fort Sam and other patients at Fisher House. houston, texasIn an astonishing coincidence, one of Fisher House’s other residents was a soldier David was guarding from the air the day the other soldier was wounded in an ambush.
“I remember pulling a security guard that day,” he said. “I know exactly what the ambush at Horst was about. [Afghanistan] in particular. We were just chatting and realized we were going through the exact same deployment. [Forward Operating Base] Salerno, it was an intense, small world type moment. ”
David’s need for rehabilitation has been long and some of his injuries will probably never heal. Helped others show the way to recovery.
“To have such a community [we] We can rely on, we can depend on, we can share the burden,” he said.
David’s rehabilitation left him texas to Craig Hospital Englewood, ColoradoCraig Hospital specializes in rehabilitation from spinal cord injuries and traumatic brain injuries. A specialist there helped David walk.
“They were able to put my foot back in place with insoles, locking it out at the knee and ankle.” But Craig Hospital didn’t stop there.of that area Colorado has many adaptive sports professionals, and David says staff and therapists have started asking him.
“I was an active guy before my injury, and I wanted to stay active. Colorado was my future. ”
David quickly changed his medical retirement plan to: Colorado and retired from service.
now he lives Colorado And we pay up front for the support we receive from Fisher House and other non-profits. He has worked for veteran service organizations such as Veterans of Foreign Wars and Adaptive Adventures.
In his role at VFW, he helps lobby for bipartisan and bipartisan legislation designed to help veterans. ColoradoSome of his greatest achievements were setting up the Veterans Affairs Tribunal to help PTSD sufferers and Colorado A public university for military training and experience.
He is currently pushing for additional legislation to support veterans, which he said could be wrapped up in a bill that “facilitates and empowers military personnel as they transition into civilian life.” increase.
The Fisher House Foundation is best known for its network of 94 comfort stations where families of military and veterans can stay for free while their loved ones receive medical attention. These homes are located in major military and veterans medical centers nationwide. Europe, near the medical center or hospital they serve. Fisher House has up to 21 suites with private bedrooms and baths. Families share a common kitchen, laundry facilities, warm dining room and cozy living room. The Fisher House Foundation guarantees that you will not incur any accommodation costs.Since its inception, the program has estimated family members of military and veterans. $547 million Self-pay for accommodation and transportation expenses.
The Fisher House Foundation also has a Hero Miles program that uses donated frequent flyer miles to bring families to the bedside of wounded soldiers, and donated hotel points to help families reach medical centers. We also operate a Hotels for Heroes program that allows you to stay at nearby hotels. charging. The Foundation also has an awards program that recognizes programs that support the military and veteran communities, and a scholarship fund for military children, spouses, and children of fallen veterans and children of veterans with disabilities. I manage.
For more information about the Fisher House Foundation, please visit www.fisherhouse.org.
Source Fisher House Foundation
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