Family Seeks Help For Wounded Marine

Editor's note: Christine Ott of Riverview is the mother of Lance Cpl. John Doody, who was injured by sniper fire in Iraq and is recovering with help from the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital.

My son, as a Marine corporal, has been through a lot.

I'd like to make his 26th birthday a day he'll never forget, with the community's support. He gave his life (as he knew it) for his country.

The community, which has already done much for retired Lance Cpl. John Doody, can help by attending this event.

The celebration is going to be on his birthday, March 7, at Salute Sports Grill in Riverview at 11238 Boyette Road, beginning at 11 a.m.

There will be a pig roast with requested donations of $5 per plate or $10 for all you can eat. We're hoping to raise enough money for a new washer, dryer and air conditioner/heater for our home, where we care for John. The appliances we have now are old and need to be replaced.

To the great people in the Tampa Bay community, thank you for all you have done already. My son is the young Marine who was shot while on patrol in Iraq and then suffered from an infection that caused him to have anoxic brain injury.

My son, husband and I relocated to the Tampa region so John could continue receiving care at James A. Haley Veterans Hospital. The anoxic brain injury left him blind and paralyzed from the neck down and in a vegetative state from January 2008 until he started talking at the end of April.

The doctors in San Diego, where he suffered his brain injury, gave us no hope and said that John should go to a nursing home. I was having none of it. I knew my son was "still there."

A few days after his brain injury, while in the intensive care unit on life support, a group of his fellow Marines were in his room visiting him. His gunny sergeant, with his booming voice, was talking about how John's fellow Marine, who found him unconscious in his room, was "getting so fat that the only thing he could get by when he walked down the halls was the paint on the wall."

Needless to say, everyone in the room burst out in laughter. I looked at my son and the very corners of his mouth were tilted up ... he was laughing.

From that point on, I was not giving up. His responses from January to the end of April were few and far between, but I knew in my heart that he could hear, could understand, had memories and knew who we were.

I tortured John with his favorite comedy shows until that day in April when he finally said his first word: "No."

Since then, John has been able to talk to us. He still can't see, and he's paralyzed, but he is such a blessing. His motto is, "Life's a garden, dig it."

Once again, thank you, Florida! You have embraced us, and we feel blessed to be here with you.

For information on the birthday bash, e-mail me at marine.mom@hotmail.com.