Sam, who was originally deployed to Afghanistan, suffered compound fractures to both legs after being injured by an IED in January. His right foot was amputated, and he will be in rehab for most of the year. Sam’s dad says his son is in good spirits despite his loss. He was able to talk to Sam almost immediately after the incident, and it was Sam who did most of the consoling: “Dad, it’s part of the job. I would do it all again.” He wishes he could still be out in the field with his fellow Marines.

Our Purple Heart Family Support volunteers recently caught up with Sam and experienced his high morale and positive attitude firsthand.

They went to his room, introduced themselves and personally invited him to the dinner they brought to the hospital. Much to their surprise, he said he had been to a couple of the dinners before but hadn’t interacted with any of the volunteers yet. After talking with Sam, one of our volunteers learned about his passion for sports. He loves to play basketball, soccer, football and baseball and plays all of them any chance he gets.

After his amputation Sam was given a prosthetic foot, and fortunately he said it didn't take him long to adjust to the new limb—he didn't get any blisters or sores. He has stayed active with sports ever since, and he’s as ambitious as ever. He recently played a softball game for wounded warriors and predicted he'd score at least one home run and three RBIs. He's also taking driving lessons to relearn how to drive with his prosthetic foot.

At dinner all of the volunteers were extra generous with the hugs to make up for lost time. After getting to know Sam a little more, they were clued in on his favorite dessert—cheesecake. Our volunteers say he’s in for a surprise treat at their next visit! Along with the cheesecake they plan on providing ­­­­karaoke for entertainment…the volunteers are hoping they can convince Sam to get up on the stage!

Sam would love to hear from you during his recovery! Send cards or letters to:

Cpl. Sam - 2nd CEB
c/o OperationPAL
P.O. Box 670328
Marietta, GA 30066