Photo By Spc. Tianna Isreal | U.S. Army Spc. Stephanie Morris, assigned to Warrior Transition Unit, Walter Reed...... read more read more
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By Sameria Zavala
Womack Army Medical Center Public Affairs
WEST POINT, N.Y. (June 15, 2016) – A significant number of athletes participating in the 2016 Department of Defense Warrior Games have injuries and are working to heal and adapt.
U.S. Army Spc. Stephanie Morris, assigned to the Warrior Transition Unit at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, is one athlete making the decision three days after the conclusion of the games to have her right leg amputated, June 24.
While Morris was deployed to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan in 2013, her left femur was shattered and right foot was fractured during an attack.
“While we were leaving our motor pool and traveling to the bus stop, we received indirect fire,” said Morris. “Two rocket-propelled grenades came in back to back.”
I wanted to amputate (my leg) when I first got injured, but my mom was there,” added Morris. “I wasn’t conscious enough to make the decision and my mom said you have to do everything you can to save it.”
Morris has endured multiple surgeries in order to correct her injury, but the pain has not stopped since the attack.
“I feel like amputation is the best route to go,” she said. “It’s below the knee, so I will still be able to function, I’ll still be able to do what I want to do and not only that, it (amputation) may make me a little better than where I am now. I always knew it was an option, it has always been in the back of my head.”
Morris did not take this decision lightly. It is mandatory to go through counseling prior to going through a surgery of this magnitude.
“They (doctors) make you go through a psych assessment to make sure you are not just making a rash decision,” she said. “It’s been three years since my first surgery. My last surgery only made me worse than what I was. It (my foot) is causing everything else to go wrong. If I eliminate the problem, then I will be able to move forward.”
Morris is participating in cycling, shooting, sitting volleyball, track and wheelchair basketball this year. Her commitment to the games shines through during shooting practice where she said was her weakest area.
“If you are going into combat, you are going to train hard; if you are competing in a competition, you are going to train hard because you want to do the best you can,” said Morris.
“It doesn’t matter what injury you have,” said added. “Whatever disability you have, whatever ability you have, you learn to adapt and overcome. Don’t let your injury define you, you define it.”
| Date Taken: | 06.14.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 06.18.2016 12:06 |
| Story ID: | 201683 |
| Location: | WEST POINT, NY, US |
| Web Views: | 1,258 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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