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FORT BLISS, Texas — “They told me I wasn't going to be able to
learn,” he said.
In May 2014 he walked across the stage in a
ceremony designated to those who have completed higher education. He
will be receiving his master's degree in rehabilitation counseling
which he will use to help others who have similar stories. He is
bringing his journey full circle and affecting the lives of many
along the way.
He is developing software to help people reach
their greatest abilities, allowing them to be more successful than
they imagined. He doesn't wish to dwell on the events that steered
his life in its current direction; he would rather discuss how he
plans to improve the process of transitioning.
He is retired
Army Sgt. 1st Class Victor Medina. He is the TBI Warrior.
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Retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Victor Medina, right, addresses a class
of future nurses about what it is like to live with a traumatic
brain injury at El Paso Community College, Northwest Campus, El
Paso, Texas, March 6, 2014. Medina and his wife, Roxana Delgado,
left, share their story with future health care providers to give
them an understanding of TBI other than what textbooks teach.
(U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Candice Harrison)
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In 2009, nearly seven years after he became an
active-duty Soldier, Medina was injured when an explosively
formed projectile tore through his vehicle during a convoy
in Iraq. He does not remember the blast; all he remembers is
waking up on a stretcher while being medically evacuated. He
did not know he suffered a traumatic brain injury.
Medina returned to his unit in Iraq and was assigned to
perform administrative duties instead of convoy missions.
The things that were once simple tasks became difficult for
the platoon sergeant.
“I tried to tough it out, I guess, but I
wasn't myself,” said Medina, who was a motor transport
operator. “I was very unaware of my surroundings. Everyone
else was aware there was something wrong.”
Within
three days Medina's leadership could tell that his symptoms
were serious. One morning, he woke up having a seizure. That
was the final event before he was sent to Balad, Iraq, for
further medical attention.
A CT scan showed damage to
his brain. He was sent to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center,
Germany, for further testing and treatment. An MRI showed
the damage was more severe than anyone imagined.
He
was medically evacuated to Fort Bliss, Texas, where he was
stationed, for rehabilitation and treatment. His days were
filled with appointments and therapy. He spent some time at
the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, a specialized
facility for brain injuries, at Walter Reed National
Military Medical Center, Maryland. Upon returning to the El
Paso, Texas, area, Medina continued with his rehabilitation
until he was medically retired in 2012.
Medina soon
realized sharing his story with others was necessary to his
recovery.
“TBI Warrior started as a blog, now it is a
registered trademark,” said Medina. “When I was in rehab, it
started as a blog. I couldn't speak well, but I could write
well. I started documenting my rehab through words. Then, to
my amazement, people from all over world were writing me
about how much my story impacted them.”
The blog
evolved into a website. Medina plans to develop
tbiwarrior.com into an online community where people can
find resources and support. He understands, firsthand, the
importance of support.
“My wife has stood by me. She
didn't have to, but she did. She is one of the main reasons,
if not the main reason, why I am where I am at today,” said
Medina. “She is the one who helped me put life in
perspective. It's all about support.”
Roxana Delgado,
Medina's wife, a senior research associate for the Samueli
Institute, did not have experience with being a caregiver,
but instinct told her that compromising herself and her
goals would not benefit either of them. She worked and went
to school full time while taking care of her husband.
“My idea was if I can help him but at the same time
continue to develop my life, I can continue to get the best
of both sides,” said Delgado who just completed her
doctorate in interdisciplinary health sciences. “I will
still fulfill my goals and he will get to where he is
supposed to be.”
The journey to where “he is supposed
to be” included Medina continuing his education. He said
even though he was technically retired, he was not of
retirement age. He was not ready to be idle.
Doctors
told him he would not be able to learn new things, but he
was on a mission to prove them wrong. While he does admit
that learning is significantly more difficult, it hasn't
prevented him from fulfilling his passion: helping wounded
and disabled Soldiers.
When he is awarded his
master's in rehabilitation counseling in May 2014, he plans
to use it to help those Soldiers. Along with completing his
degree with a 4.0 grade point average, Medina is developing
software program to benefit those transitioning out of the
Army.
“I'm developing a prototype of software that
will track those who are severely wounded through their
transition process and beyond,” explained Medina. “If you
have a [military occupational specialty], the software is
going to give you all of the transferable skills your MOS
has.”
The computer program will take that information
along with the type of disability and give a list of the
possible accommodations available to help the Soldier reach
their employment goal. The software will also build a
database of veteran-friendly employers.
“The program
creates a mechanism to record goals, set up some milestones,
track [the Soldier's] progress and see how successful they
are,” said Carlos Escobar, an advocate with the U.S. Army
Wounded Warrior Program, also referred to as AW2, located at
the Soldier and Family Assistance Center here.
Escobar has known Medina since 2009 and has watched him
progress into what he is today. Because of his experiences,
Escobar thought Medina would be perfect for an internship
with the AW2 Program.
Medina's internship is still in
its infancy as he has only been working there for a few
weeks, but his impact is already in full force.
“He
is a veteran who overcame his disabilities,” said Escobar
who also suffered injuries as a Soldier. “He understands
what is required to be able to succeed in life, and he can
use that to provide the tools to other individuals who are
coming out in the same way he came out of the Army.”
The passion Medina feels for the wounded and disabled
veteran population has driven his recovery. He continues to
use his experiences to help others through their journeys.
He does not pretend the transition process is without flaws,
but what makes him different is his vision to bring about
positive changes.
He has been, and will continue to
be instrumental to empowering wounded and disabled veterans.
By U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Candice Harrison
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2014
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