Sunday, January 9, 2011

Story of a Wounded Warrior

In 1994 I was involved in a attack in Ottawa, Ontario and stabbed thirteen times, I have recovered from this but two of the wounds in my upper left leg left me with half a muscle in it and have had pain there for the last 14 years. I then met someone through one of my groups MCpl Jody Mitic. Jody is a member of The Canadian Forces who lost both his legs after stepping on a landmine in Afghanistan.

Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean touches Master Cpl. Jody Mitic, left, as she presents him with the new Sacrifice Medal. Prime Minister Stephen Harper, right, and Chief of the Defence Staff Walter Natynczyk look on during the ceremony at Rideau Hall, Nov. 9, 2009. Photo: SEAN KILPATRICK/THE CANADIAN PRESS

One of the medics who treated Jody in Afghanistan is now his girlfriend and they have a daughter together. Yes I know sounds like something you’d see in a military movie but this is not.

I thought to myself, here is a guy that lost both of his legs in Afghanistan and he’s running in marathons for The ST. John’s rehab center and I’m at home complaining about a few leg cramps from my incident. I made the decision to start walking more, working out and in the last year thanks to Jody’s inspiration I have lost over 88lbs to date. I no longer have muscle cramps and feel amazing.
Mcpl Jody Mitic has been involved with the SOldier On program. A organization started by injures soldiers by injured soldiers that I stand behind and back with every part of me.

On Jody’s Twitter page his caption says “I may have fake legs but I have a real heart”
“Life as an amputee is a whole new lifestyle,” Mitic said Monday on Canada AM. “But meeting Alannah and then getting together and then having little Aylah, I wouldn’t trade any of it to have my legs back. I’m pretty happy with the way life is now.”

I meet a lot of people through the groups and sites I run, having 3.4 million members on Thank A Soldier I hear from quite a few of them. But I can honestly say Jody is by far the most inspirational person I have ever met in my life and I wanted to do a write up about him to say THANK YOU.
If you would like to know more about THE SOLDIER ON program please check out there website.
You can follow on Twitter MCpl Jody Mitic here.



1 comment:

  1. And Dave, you could not have a better inspiration and you are not the only one that will offer Thanks to MCpl Mitic ...

    ReplyDelete