by Eric Sorensen
A few days ago, I wrote about a young man who survived the shooting at Virginia Tech almost six years ago. I chatted with him and found him to be an inspirational story. He had survived four gunshot wounds, his strength of character entirely intact, he was motivated to good things in his life.
Hard to imagine that another 20-something young man would have a story to tell every bit as remarkable today in Baltimore.
Brendan Marrocco was driving an armoured vehicle in Iraq four years ago when an explosive shell ripped through the side, tearing to shreds both arms and both legs. First it’s remarkable that he survived – medics gave him dozens of units of blood – he was losing blood as fast as they could pump it in. Quick action on the ground in Iraq, then by doctors in Germany and then days later at Walter Reed Medical Center back in Washington saved his life. But what life? Would he even want to be alive?
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You betcha he wanted to live. He spent more than three years in rehabilitation with mechanical arms and legs. To see pictures of him walking, Brendan looked like a real-life version of the Bionic Man. He had such a fighting spirit – Brendan calls it stubbornness – that he soon was up and walking, and manipulating his new hands.
But he wasn’t done yet. Doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital Transplant Center in Baltimore were taken with his work ethic, and more importantly his frame of mind. Here was a young man in the prime of his life, who’d lost his arms and his legs and yet he seemed completely upbeat. And determined. He was an ideal candidate for the most complicated double limb transplant ever performed in the United States. Last month, 16 surgeons spent 13 hours attaching two donor arms to his own arms – muscle, blood vessels, nerves, skin, bone. And then they waited.
Recently friends were visiting with Brendan when, for the first time, his left wrist turned. Brendan says he hardly noticed, but his friends freaked out. It was the first sign that the donor arms were slowly becoming his own. Doctors were confident enough in his progress to hold a news conference today, but the star of show was Brendan. He used those arms to push a wheel chair to the centre of the room to take some questions.
How did he not lose all hope after what happened? He responded that he was happy to survive: “Life always gets better. And you’re still alive.” When people say something can’t be done, his response was “Just be stubborn. Do it anyway. Work your ass off to do it.”
During the news conference he joked constantly, for example, about waiting for the day when he can give that particular “finger” gesture – the doctor beside him suggested he meant a “thumbs up.” There was a lot of laughter. When doctors suggested he’ll be working hard in rehab, not just sitting around playing video games, Brendan interrupted, “Hey, video games could be good rehab. These are hands we’re talking about.”
And when asked who should play him in the movie version of himself, he suggested the guy who plays Thor. Why? Because “He’s got great hair just like me.”
His humour was infectious. It’s obvious why doctors were willing to risk – and donate – their time and the millions of dollars it cost to help him, and to advance the cause of medicine. Brendan has to be an inspiration for anyone who has been badly hurt, or who may understandably be feeling sorry for themselves.
Reluctantly, Brendan also took one question from his own brother: What was Brendan’s favourite Harry Potter character? Seemed like a silly question, and Brendan replied “You owe me 20 bucks if I answer this.”
And then after a pause he said “How can you not be a fan of Harry?”
Of course. The plucky little wizard who overcomes all odds and makes the world a better place. Harry Potter in a storybook, and Brendan Marrocco in real life.
Eric is Global National’s Washington Bureau Chief. Follow him on Twitter: @ericsorensendc.
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