www.diverseabilitymagazine.com DIVERSEability Magazine 95
E
ight years ago, Travis Mills life was forever changed when he became one of only five servicemen from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan ever to survive his injuries as a quadruple amputee. Retired United States Army Staff Sergeant Travis Mills of the 82nd Airborne was critically wounded in action on April 10, 2012 by an IED on his third deployment in Afghanistan, but with a positive attitude, he refuses to let his injuries define him. In the beginning it was a little difficult not being able to look in the mirror for six months, he told us. There were times when you wonder why this happened and how can you go back in time. After a while, you just realize that its never going to change so you might as well make the best of it. Mills said he had wonderful doctors, nurses, and medical staff as well as therapists (occupation- al, physical, driving rehab) that would get him back on his feet. His wife and his daughter were right there with him, literally every step of the way. I learned to walk with my daughter as she was learning how to walk, he said. Once you peel back the layers and realize this is the rest of your life, stop dwelling on it, get moving and reminisce about what you had, life gets a lot easier. Mills said the mental part was the toughest, and that he struggled with the why? Am I a bad person? Why didnt I just die? Things like that go through your head, he said. I realized for the first five weeks of my injuries that I had to have someone feed me, have someone help me change my clothes, help me use the restroom, things that you wouldnt think of. Its like being an adult baby that cant do anything for themselves. It has taught me patience.
Travis Mills:
A Profile in True Courage
By Kellie Speed
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