MatthewDrakeStory

YouTube ^ | Aug 27, 2012 | Lisa Schuster

[WhiskeyX]

Matthew was wounded during a suicide car bombing in Iraq, near the Syrian border, on Oct. 15, 2004. He was the sole survivor of the attack. Two members of his Army Psychological Operations team, a U.S. Marine accompanying them, and an Iraqi translator were killed. He suffered massive injuries, including a depressed skull fracture, several strokes and brain trauma from the explosion and impacts. He also had a fractured vertebrae in his neck, his jaw was broken in two places with severe tissue damage to the right side of his face, a fractured sternum, clavicles, and right arm, inhalation damage to his lungs, 2nd & 3rd degree burns on his hand and legs, and shrapnel embedded in his face and neck. He was not expected to make it through the first night. His recovery from his physical wounds was long and painful, but his recovery from his traumatic brain injury has proven to be the biggest battle of his life; a battle he is still waging today. He had to learn to do everything, including growing up, all over again. At first it was not known if he would ever wake up, much less walk or talk. But they didn't know Matthew. Matthew spent nine months in hospitals, from Germany, to Walter Reed in Washington D.C., to the James A. Haley VA hospital in Tampa, Florida, and finally the Ann Arbor, Michigan Veterans Hospital. He underwent extensive Physical, Occupational, Speech and Cognitive Therapy. He then spent three months in a Brain Injury Residential Facility, before moving home to a specially built apartment added to our house. After 17 months at home, Matthew longed to be more independent and left home in March of 2007 to spend a year in Omaha, Nebraska, at a very specialized facility there. [....]

[WhiskeyX]

This is a striking example of why the Veteran's Administration is so important and not to be neglected as it has been over the years.

[glenduh]

Matthew Drake. Amazing young man. I will not soon forget. Thank you for posting.