'Thank You For Your Courage' Local Veterans Support Group Gifts Wounded Vet With New All-Terrain Wheelchair
CANONSBURG (KDKA) -- This story is just in time for this Memorial Day Weekend.
A wounded veteran got quite the surprise from an organization called Freedom Alliance.
When Staff Sgt. Gregory Foster and his wife Colleen arrived at Woodcraft of Pittsburgh in Canonsburg, he had no idea what was about to happen.
He was then presented with an $18,000 all-terrain wheelchair from Freedom Alliance, a military support and charitable organization that helps wounded service members and their families.
Sgt. Foster couldn't wait to get behind the controls.
Tom Kilgannon of Freedom Alliance thanked the vet for his service.
"We want to say thank you, thank you for your service, thank you for your courage," said Kilgannon.
Sgt Foster was a little timid about the speed at first but was soon rolling with the best of them.
While serving in Afghanistan in 2011, the Sgt. sustained combat related injuries and was awarded the purple heart and a bronze star with valor for bravery.
After returning home, he was injured in a parachuting accident sustaining nerve and leg damage and severe brain damage.
"We think he had a blood clot left over from that, so somewhere between the time he came out of the airplane and pulled his parachute, the clot let loose and he had a stroke and because he could not control the chute, the wind shot him into a tree," said his wife Colleen Foster.
Sgt. Foster has been visiting Woodcraft of Pittsburgh for the past few weeks for therapy. He has even made a ballpoint pen. The company gave him some pretty special gifts including a drill press, a lathe and a dust collector.
"It is incredible humbling because you take your able body for granted and when you are able to give to someone, it's all about what they are able to accomplish and it was pretty cool," said Leslie Struthers, his instructor.
Sgt Foster also has limited speech due his his accident, but he could say this loud and clear: "Thank you, wow."
