His mother, Bridget, was able to get him to leave Albuquerque and go to Nashville, Tennessee, where she and her husband, Bobby, live, to get him the treatment he needed. Less than a week after coming to Nashville, Anthony went into diabetic shock while he and Bridget were on a highway. That led to his being admitted to a VA hospital in Nashville. He was also treated for PTSD following a nine-month tour in Egypt from 2012-2013 during the riots there. Things had seemed to be on track for the better.
That is until the end of last year.
Here are excerpts from how Bridget relayed the story to friends and family on social media:
I was up all last night and am just laying down now for sleep. Anthony is most
definitely a hero. After climbing out the car window, pulling Bobby out ... he turned
and saw that [the woman driving the car who hit Bobby and Anthony] was still
sitting in her car gripping the steering wheel even though it burst into flames upon
her impact. A police officer who just got off duty happened to be there at the time in
the traffic and came up and asked ... if everyone was ok. [Anthony] tore off running
to pull [the other driver] out of her car. The officer sat with Bobby, and Anthony ran
from car to car making sure everyone was ok. At that point he agreed to be treated
and then rushed to the hospital for his injuries. The serious pain set in yesterday and
Anthony had to be back at the hospital. Bobby will probably never walk again
without at least the aid of a walker. The doctor was here and brought a walker and a
wheelchair for when they are finally able to get up and out in public.
Anthony only injured his foot and back and neck. He was released from the hospital
that night. Pulling [the other driver] out of the burning car and setting his shoes on
fire walking through the spray of gas made his PTSD spring up fierce. He's been
having severe nightmares. Bobby was injured most in the accident. He was over a
month in a walker and now has to go through neurosurgery for aneurism and surgery
for his back.
Thank you for all the thoughts, love and support, it is greatly needed and appreciated,
especially not really having any family here. It's going to be a rough road and in one
thoughtless act, we have now not only lost transportation but 90% of our income.
Now we just want to hit the lottery enough to get through the next month and hire a
moving truck. We just want to come home [to New Jersey] where we have friends
and family to help in this. Without their love and support, I'm not sure how I am
going to get through this alone.
As if all that was not enough, today, Bridget and her family were served with eviction papers today. They have to be out of their place of residence in ten days. Anthony is back in the VA hospital continuing his treatment for PTSD, and Bridget said she feels terrible because when Anthony is finally released from the VA hospital, he won't have a home to go to.
All of that has been the update part. I intended to up date you all on Anthony last month, but I wanted to allow some time for Bridget's family. Now comes the help part.
GoFundMe.com is a personal fundraising website that serves a myriad of needs, from trips for ailing individuals to relief for families who suffered a loss due to fire, and more. A GoFundMe account has been started for Bridget and her family to help with moving costs (from Tennessee back up to New Jersey) and initial medical costs until they get back on their feet. The story is all there on their webpage. I encourage to take the time to read their story and to help out my dear friends and their son, a true hero. The link is below.
Terry
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