Van gives disabled vet freedom
TAMPA - Lance Corporal J.T. Doody has a newfound freedom. He's in a wheelchair, but now he can go where he wants.
Monday, 15 Dec 2008
by TANYA ARJA
FOX 13 NEWS
At Ride-Away in Tampa, J.T. was handed keys to his new van, customized for him.
The 25-year-old Marine was shot by a sniper in Iraq and hit in the leg three times. But that wasn't his worst injury -- when he came back to the states, he got a blood infection in a Naval hospital.
The infection went into his aorta causing him to lose consciousness. He suffered severe brain damage, and his mom Chris has been by his bedside ever since.
"The last thing we need to do to these men is to have them become shut-ins," she offered.
Chris said this new van will allow the family to go out together. They only had a Grand Am as their car, and of course, the wheelchair won't fit in it.
Now they can go to church or a restaurant, together.
The wheelchair was fully customized by Ride-Away. But it was donated from funds from Operation Support Our Troops.
"This is our eighth van and it's on the books for about four more next year," explained Mary Kay Salamone.
Salamone said it's part of their Wheels for Warriors program.
J.T. is proud to be a Marine -- he told FOX 13, "Semper fi; do or die" -- and said he'd do it all again, if he had to.
Now he said he has just one job: to get better. At least now he can be more independent.