Warning: This is an emotional story
Meet Marine Sargent Eddie Ryan from Lake George. A living miracle and the true embodiment of the word hero. He was in high school at the time of the 9/11 attacks. Two weeks after graduation, he was in basic training with the Marines. Joining the Marines was Eddie's dream, especially after 9/11, he wanted 'to get the bad guys'.
Eddie served 3 tours in Iraq. It was on his third tour when his life almost came to an end. A friendly fire incident left Ryan with two bullets in his head. A number of his Marine buddies ran to his rescue, but his condition was grave. At one point, the doctors believed he had died. After six weeks in a coma, Eddie woke up. Although suffering a traumatic brain injury, Eddie was back.
Due to his condition, Eddie is limited on how and where he can travel. But, he wants to make it to Florida in April where a reunion of his fellow Marines is planned. Some of those Marines are the ones who saved his life. Unfortunately, Eddie is unable to fly because of his brain injury. In order to get there, he needs a specialized handicapped accessible RV to take him to and from the event.
If you or someone you know has the type of vehicle that can help Eddie, email Mark Mulholland at NewsChannel 13 and he'll put you in touch with Eddie's family: mmulholland@wnyt.com.
To donate to the organization putting on the reunion, there are several ways to help:
Send a check to: Springs of Change Inc. 7751 NE 120th Ave, Bronson, FL 32621
You can also donate via Venmo or PayPal.
