Support for forgotten veterans: A North Texas veteran's journey from injury to healing
Veterans coming home from deployment can sometimes feel forgotten. For those who were injured and trying to figure out the next steps, it can be even more challenging. One organization is making sure they are not forgotten.
Sophia Denmark is a busy mom.
But on a sunny spring day, she might have time to squeeze in a walk.
Not always an easy feat for the Iraq War veteran.
"Two months into the deployment, I was involved in a mortar attack, and I was hit from head to toe with shrapnel," said Denmark. "I heard the whistling, everything went black and I popped my eyes back open, and my first words were, 'Oh my god' and my second word was 'Journey,' which is my oldest daughter's name."
The attack left Denmark with horrific injuries to her left leg.
"I woke up, and my leg was elevated; it was pretty purple. I went back to sleep, woke up again, and it was gone," she said.
That was just the beginning. Denmark was on her way home but she would need to rebuild her life one step at a time.
"Sometimes the veterans get injured, soldiers get injured, and it's like when we get out of the military, we feel forgotten sometimes," said Denmark.
Forgotten and sometimes in need of a little extra help. Like when Denmark couldn't afford to get her car repaired. That's when she found Semper Fi & America's Fund.
"They helped me with a vehicle repair at the time. It was something big to me, pretty sure it was something small to them, but I appreciated it," she said.
The non-profit provides support to wounded veterans and their families. Support can range from car repair to something even smaller.
"They also send out birthday cards and Life Day cards, and I think that matters the most because October is a tough month for me, and then all of a sudden, I get a card in the mail that says, 'Hey Sophia, we're thinking about you,' and that matters the most," said Denmark.
