“War is a very indiscriminate villain," said General Hal Hornburg, US Air Force Retired, going on to say that in battlefields of the past, these men and women would not have survived the severe wounds that they come home with today.
"And rather than give them a pat on the back," said Hornburg, "we try to give them mobility, which results in freedom and allows them to return to society as productive as they can possibly be."
Segs4Vets, an organization that works to help mobilize injured veterans, calls San Antonio its home and twice a year awards Segways to veterans who have lost legs or been confined to a wheelchair since they were injured.
- More about Segs4Vets at: www.draft.org
A special Segway had to be built for 22-year-old Todd Love, who lost both legs and his left arm in Afghanistan. Love said he woke up to firefights every day and now he’s just happy to be alive.
"When I woke up in the hospital in Germany, yeah, I didn't have legs at all and I lost my hand and I was in a lot of pain. But I was happy. For the first time in several months, I woke up knowing that I was going to go home and I was going to see my family again," said Love.
Segs4Vets has awarded more than 1,000 Segways so far. Founder Jerry Kerr said and the need is even greater now than when the organization began in 2008.
"Well, we know right now that we need to give away another 2,500 Segways that we know of. And of course, the war continues in Afghanistan. The injuries are more severe. In 2011, we had more amputations than any year before."
Segs4Vets doesn't receive government funding, but provides the transports with private funds and support from organizations like the Disable American Veterans and USAA.
More on Amputee and Afghanistan War veteran Todd Love:
- Read more about Todd's story at: http://brettmayphotography.wordpress.com/2011/05/08/my-story-corp-todd-love/
