VETERANS REBUILDING LIFE

On October 23rd, 2010, Marine Corporal Juan Dominguez slid down a small embankment during a foot patrol and landed on a buried bomb. The explosion that followed sent a shockwave that was both felt and heard for miles. Both of Juan’s legs were severed right above his knee and his right arm was mangled, the bones shattered in several places.
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Juan’s body went into shock and put him into a coma, as fellow Marines from his platoon raced to save his life. A dust-off (helicopter medical evacuation team) flew Juan to safety. When he awoke in the medical tent, Juan said "The Taliban failed, I survived.” But he did far more than just survive. After sustaining catastrophic injuries and undergoing multiple complex surgeries, Juan’s determination is an inspiration to his fellow injured servicemen and women.

Brendan Marrocco entered the U.S. Army in 2008 at the age of 21. On Easter Sunday, Brendan’s vehicle sustained a direct hit by an explosive-fired projectile. One soldier was killed and two others seriously injured. Brendan became the first veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to lose both arms and legs, and live. VRL hosted the Cars and Cocktails Event in Bedford, NY.
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The event successfully raised thousands of dollars to be placed in the Brendan Marrocco Trust, to be used in the construction of a spec-house in his native home of Staten Island, NY. VRL also participated in the Tunnels to Towers annual event, in support of Brendan. 100% of the donations raised by VRL directly aided in the building of a new home for Brendan, completed in the summer of 2013.

Corporal Todd Nicely, a native of Arnold, Missouri found his calling as a mentor for junior Marines. At the ripe old age of 26, he earned the title of "Old Man Marine.” Todd met his wife, Crystal, also a Marine, at the age of 24. The couple were stationed at different bases, but within proximity of one another in North Carolina. They married on February 20, 2009 in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Todd had already served a tour of duty in Iraq in 2008 before re-deploying to Afghanistan in 2009, where he was directly responsible for the lives of 12 junior Marines in 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines.

Corporal Nicely was leading 1st Squad back from a security patrol when he stepped on a pressure-activated land mine. After receiving emergency medical help from his platoon and a medic in a nearby platoon, Nicely was transported to the military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany and then flown to Washington, DC to Walter Reed’s Military Advanced Training Center, where amputees get physical and occupational therapy.

Todd had lost all his limbs on that battlefield. His recovery depended on spirit and grueling therapy. Amazingly, dramatic improvement followed, to the extent that he even mastered to drive a specially equipped automobile! Todd’s comment regarding his condition would humble any of us: "I consider myself pretty lucky. I wake up every morning and figure I have a second chance at life, so I get up and go.”

Todd and Crystal Nicely have learned together what it means to embody the Marine motto, Semper Fidelis. In a recent interview, Crystal mentioned how blessed she feels when she thinks of growing old with Todd and watching their grandchildren together. VRL was honored to participate in the 2011 Tunnels to Towers Fundraising event to raise the cost of construction to build Todd and Crystal’s new spec–home by a lake in the Ozarks, Missouri. A home that represents our gratitude for their sacrifice.

Yousif’s leg was crushed by shrapnel in the war-torn nation of Iraq. He had endured multiple surgeries in what’s left of Iraq’s medical infrastructure. Because of limited supplies and personnel, Yousif’s surgeries were unsuccessful and left his legs uneven, making it extremely difficult and painful to walk. As he grew, so would do his medical problems. Left untreated, he would have lost his leg by age twelve after suffering years of chronic pain with every step.

Yousif’s story is all too common in today’s Iraq, where violence has increased since the U.S. withdrawal of military forces. The life expectancy of Iraq’s children has dramatically declined in recent years, according to the BBC world news report. Iraq’s adult population was decimated after ten years of war. Children now make up 56% of Iraq’s total population of 33 million.

A five-year-old boy from the plains of Nineveh, Iraq was diagnosed with congenital heart disease. He was brought to Amman, Jordan through VRL’s joint humanitarian partnerships, and the University of Indiana's: Pediatric Cardiac Team. A thorough medical evaluation was completed in Amman, by VRL partner: Dr. Salaymeh, MD, who determined that the medical defect required an emergency open-heart surgical procedure. The patient underwent a complex but successful medical surgery. David recovered in Amman for the following week, before departing home to his grateful family.

Mahaba Has Three Strikes Against Her: 1) She’s Kurdish, which means she was persecuted under Saddam Hussein’s regime. 2) She’s a girl and as such, of secondary importance within the regime. 3) Her severe spine curvature has progressed beyond the medical capabilities of a war-ravaged Iraq. Three strikes for Mahhaba.

Her condition was labeled progressive, meaning her spine curvature would continue to increase until the physical constriction made it impossible for her to breathe. Like any family, Mahaba’s mother and father refused to accept the death of their child. Despite the language barrier and lack of resources, they made contact with VRL. With help from our friends at the Shriners Hospital for Children, medical costs would be taken care of, leaving only the cost of travel for Mahaba to get to the hospital.

The $2,400 travel expense was a blow to the family, as they lived in one of the poorest war–torn regions of Iraq. But thanks to donations provided by VRL members, Mahaba’s travel costs were successfully met on time for her surgery, which was performed successfully on March 12, 2012.

OPERATION: TABAREK

The undersupplied medical staff of war–torn Iraq were unable to treat Tabarek’s leg properly, leading to an infection that could turn lethal if not treated.

Eight–year–old Tabarek entered the hospital dragging her leg through the hallways of the children’s surgery wing. She was the victim of the Iraq War, caught in the crossfire of combat. Tabarek underwent two surgeries to remove a cyst, followed by a bone-graft to enhance the healing. The operations failed. Tabarek developed a condition called pseudo arthrosis, which left her unable to walk. VRL’s partner, The Shriners at Boston Children’s Hospital, agreed to waive the medical cost of treating her, provided VRL would pay for Tabarek’s travel expenses from Iraq to the United States. VRL requested photos of Tabarek in order to develop an online advertising campaign to cover the cost of her travel expenses. For every contribution over $25.00 we offered donors a VRL T-shirt and dog-tag necklace. Working around the clock, we made the deadline, exceeding our goal of $2,500.00 to $2,650.00.

Tabarek received her round–trip ticket, making it possible to undergo the multiple surgeries that led to a successful recovery. Seen above is Tabarek just days after her final operation, is capable of walking with the assistance of a temporary medical boot. Seen here with representatives from the Shriners Children Hospital, a VRL humanitarian partnership that is responsible for providing the medical facility to successfully complete Tabarek’s surgery. On August 27th, 2010, she returned home with her grandmother, where they were received by a grateful family. Tabarek was VRL’s first humanitarian project and led to the development of VRL’s One Mission–One Life strategy utilized today.

On the morning of January 10th, 2018, Mrs. Jum Sim Yim, the loving mother of a Marine Corps veteran, was tragically killed by a reckless driver in a shocking hit-and-run as she was returning home from morning church services in Queens, NY. She was seventy-seven years of age. A devoted mother and grandmother, Mrs. Yim was known for her profound daily commitment and service to her spiritual faith, church, community, and family.
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The brutal injustice of her abrupt passing left her loved-ones devastated by grief, and burdened with loss. Mrs. Yim was survived by her three children, including her youngest son: Jae Yim, a Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq War, who later re-enlisted as a member of the Army National Guard, 10th Mountain Division located in New York City. Dedicated to a life of service, Jae is employed as an Emergency Medical Technician, (EMT) for the Fire Department of New York, (FDNY).

Her parents gave her this name because they wanted to provide happiness and hoped for love in return. But fate gave her a congenital defect that became a mechanically faulty heart. As if this were not enough, Marah was born in a refugee camp in Jordan, in a tiny room illuminated by a single light bulb, a one-burner gas stove for cooking, no furniture, no heat, and very little to hope for in a region crowded with refugees. “An operation?” asked her father incredulously, Marah’s family had spent more than a year in that room. Every morning, the father routinely went looking for work, knowing there was none.

A volunteer medical physician examined Marah, and made the determination that the complexities involved in her case, were well beyond the medical capabilities of the camp’s clinic. However, Marah’s diagnosis was positive, provided she underwent surgery as soon as possible. And that was the fortuitous day when they contacted us.

We visited the family, decided to act, and went looking for funds. Soon we had managed to get transport and food, and then a hospital and a surgeon who volunteered his services. Marah’s operation was successful and the photo shows her getting a follow-up echocardiogram soon after. Today, Marah is ten years old. Both she and her family are joyful.