Three years hold many ups and downs for families of the wounded.
In March of 2007, Marine Parents' member Chris posted that her son had been injured in Iraq. He was shot in the lower leg and when he went down, he was shot again. That bullet travelled up through his leg. His fellow Marines determined where the gunfire originated and took out their target. That action, and quick medical aid, is what saved John (J.T.)'s life the first time.
He was evacuated to several intermediate hospitals and had surgeries both to stabilize him and to save his leg. Once stateside he was determined to fully recover. Physical therapy was hard but John went over and above what he needed to do because he wanted to accelerate the recovery process. By July there was a brace on the shattered leg and he was standing. The road to recovery was going to be long but he jump-started his future by taking classes and doing an internship in between therapy sessions and medical appointments.
All was going well until an infection in January 2008 sent a particle from his heart through his bloodstream that lodged in his brain. John was in a coma and Mom was asking again for prayers. He came out of the coma after 9 days but was virtually unresponsive. By June, and with the help of staff at a hospital specializing in brain trauma, his Mom thought he was beginning to see again and even though his reactions were not always correct, he was starting to communicate. Headaches were a huge hindrance to his progress.
