I came across this article, and was absolutely floored, and wanted to share it. It's rare to encounter someone such as this, someone for him impossible is a challenge, who doesn't just struggle through adversity, but flat out kicks its ass. Someone who never quits, no matter how tough things get, and never feels sorry for herself. It's inspiring to find such a person, and Mary Dague is definitely such a person.
This is the story of Mary Dague, or at least what's been published.
Advanced Individual Training (AIT): Redstone Arsenal. Run over by a taxi as she was leaving to meet friends for dinner, Mary tore ligaments and tendons in her lower leg and ankle. She was only held back long enough to heal so she could take her exit AIT test (about one class). She got very good at doing push-ups with her right leg resting on her left. During her run portion of the test, she ran with the fastest group. When the pain got to be too much, she would stop at the side of the course, throw up, and rejoin the fastest group. Needless to say, she passed - again, just Mary.
Anybody who's tried to do physical activity after being injured knows how tough it is, and most of us would just give up, or at least take longer to heal up than Mary did. What possesses someone like Mary to do that, I don't know, I sure as hell couldn't do it. But that's just the warm up. After AIT, Mary went on to become an EOD Technician, and was sent to Iraq. In November of last year, the beginning of Mary's next impossible challenge to overcome happened.
Nov. 4, 2007. Mary's team was called out on an incident. They all did their job. Mary defused a pipe that was big enough to take out a tank, her rig or any of the other bigger rigs that are used. The material on both ends of the pipe was removed. Not being able to get to the material in the center, the plan was to pack and secure it for transport to another location in order to dispose of it. It had been placed in a spot where the team couldn't detonate it. As the circumference of the pipe was too big to carry safely on her shoulder, she carried it in front of her. It slipped from her arms, a chain reaction somehow started and the pipe exploded.
She had both arms blown off, sustained burns and lacerations to her face, fractured her right occipital bone, received and abrasion to her left cornea, hot pin holes in both eardrums and much sand blasted into her ears. Her life and the life of her team leader who was behind her guarding her back were saved by her vest. All procedures were followed to the letter. This was nothing more than a very unfortunate accident. The only blame or responsibility lies with the person who built and placed the bomb.
After an injury like that, I don't know how I'd handle it, but I doubt it would be anywhere near as well as Mary has. Her recovery has been nothing short of miraculous, due mostly to her tenacity and courage no doubt. She's also not ready to leave the Army. She wants to stay, and continue her career, as an EOD Tech. Her prosthetics also present a difficult challenge, as she's the first above the elbow double amputee of this war. Fortunately though, Mary's next challenge isn't one that she'll face alone.
She was visited in the Brooke Army Medical Center by Dean Kamen, a genius inventor who is working on developing the world's best prosthetic arm for the military. Kamen is the inventor of the Segway and lives on his own island off the East Coast. He reportedly did not want to take on the project but agreed to meet with combat veterans. He was so inspired that he decided to take it on. Several websites offer video clips showing demonstrations of his bionic arm.
It's a long, difficult process, the surgery for each arm takes seven months, and they'll do one at a time. Fortunately, in addition to Dean Kamen, she has her husband Jared by her side, in addition to a couple of names us Kossacks will find familiar, Brian Schweitzer, Jon Tester, and Max Baucus (She's from Montana). I have no doubt that Mary will succeed in this challenge, and wish Montana's favorite "bomb chick" all the best.