# Support of Capt. Trevor Greene.



## JasonH

Hope for a speedy recovery


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## tomahawk6

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060303/afghan_canada_bomb_060304/20060304?hub=TopStories

Sounds like the soldier is in bad shape. My prayers for his quick recovery.


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## big bad john

http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/03/04/canada-afghanistan060304.html

My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family at this time.


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## regulator12

Hope he gets well fast and soon.....How did he get attacked by an axe? Seems like a very brazen attack.....


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## scm77

I hope for a speedy recovery to the injured soldier.


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## Gunner

http://www.closingbigger.com/page141.htm

Lt Trevor Greene - personal biography.  Hopefully a full recovery will follow.


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## Pte_Martin

Gunner said:
			
		

> http://www.closingbigger.com/page141.htm
> 
> Lt Trevor Greene - personal biography.  Hopefully a full recovery will follow.



tells lots of info, Hopefully he will have a speedy recovery.


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## Gunner

> tells lots of info, Hopefully he will have a speedy recovery.



Reading his bio, he is a credit to the type of men and women we attract to the CF.


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## darmil

I hope he makes a speedy recovery.Good shooting!!!watch your six boys.


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## combat_medic

Lt Greene is a great soldier and officer, and a credit to the CF and the Seaforth Highlanders. I've had the pleasure of working with him both in the military and in the civilian world. My best wishes to him and his family for a speedy recovery; our thoughts are all with him.


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## Juvat

I have had the chance to train with Lt Greene on my phase training a few years back.  Good overall officer with an upbeat attitude and a resiliant individual.  May he have a speedy recovery, all the best.


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## elminister

I hopes he makes a speedy recovery and be back to lead us so we can finish the job and come back home. A big salute to you Sir!

Just to reiterate what Armymedic said, let's pay attention to what is being taught at these stands because it might save a life.


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## reccecrewman

An axe? Lord almighty............. Well done to the soldier that shot the bastard.............Speedy recovery to you Sir.


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## c2loader

To Lt. Greene, I would like to wish you a speedy recovery as well. To the Boys on the ground, nobody could have ask for more from you guys in such a situation, Job well done!


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## HollywoodHitman

Recently saw Lt Greene at Canada House. This was a week or so ago, prior to the axe attack. He was in good spirits, reading a book as usual and eager to get back to his duties (he appeared as though he was sore from the explosion but didn't mention it).  The Seaforth Highlanders should be, and I am sure are proud of him.  

Lt Greene, I wish you best of luck, a speedy recovery and to see you back in Canada up and about.

Cabar Feidh Sir,


TM


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## Sh0rtbUs

HollywoodHitman said:
			
		

> Recently saw Lt Greene at Canada House. He was in good spirits, reading a book as usual and eager to get back to his duties (he appeared as though he was sore from the explosion but didn't mention it).  The Seaforth Highlanders should be, and I am sure are proud of him.
> 
> Lt Greene, I wish you best of luck, a speedy recovery and to see you back in Canada up and about.
> 
> Cabar Feidh Sir,
> 
> 
> TM



Thanks for that, my thoughts have been with him all day. Good to hear he's fairing better.


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## COBRA-6

Holy crap, I'm in KAF now for a few days and heard about the attack, but I didn't get the details till I checked here... I did RPC with Trevor at the infantry school in 2002... a great guy... I hope he recovers quickly!

An axe attack... that's messed up...


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## ArmyRick

God speed on your recovery Capt Greene.


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## Whiskey_Dan

That's absolutely F*cking sick!
My thoughts and prayers go out to Capt Greene and his family.
God Speed

Dan


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## CdnArtyWife

Godspeed Capt. Greene.

My family's thoughts and prayers are with you.


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## simysmom99

Man, our military family just keeps getting hit.
My thoughts and prayers to the families involved.


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## Mignault.J

Trevor is my cousin, im not even sure what to say but im in total shock still,
His father, mother, and his wife are all going to see him in Germany right now but there isnt much word. Earlier today he blinked and responded to light, a small but good sign.
He is a great man and myself and my entire familiy prays for him, and all of us would be lucky to be one tenth the man he is.
He had a small child of only a few months at home....
I dont know what else to say really... I'll be sure to update with his condition which was at last, critical and unstable.


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## armyvern

Mignault.J said:
			
		

> Earlier today he blinked and responded to light, a small but good sign.
> He is a great man and myself and my entire familiy prays for him, and all of us would be lucky to be one tenth the man he is.


Mignault,

Thanks so much for the update on Trevor. My thoughts and prayers are with him and your family as you struggle with these tragic events. A great man indeed.


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## Slim

Mignault,

Welcome to army.ca

We really appreciate your posting and any updates woud be more than welcome, as indeed are you.

All hope for Trevors recovery and the best to your family from all of us.  

Words just do not express the enormous sacrifice that soldiers and their families go through at times like this...Thank you for supporting Trevor and the CF.

Slim
STAFF


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## Dark Angles

Una salus victis nullam sperare salutem - The one safety for the vanquished is to abandon hope of safety knowing there is no hope can give one the courage to fight and win.
My deepest sorrow for the family and friends,may the rest come home in one peice


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## Quiet Riot

First I'd like to wish the captain a full and speedy recovery, from what other members and the media have said about him sounds like he is a great officer and humanitarian.  Secondly I think alot of people in the village knew something was going to happen just by what capt. Schamuhn said in the article, "About two or three minutes prior to the incident, all the children that were present were escorted away, twenty to thirty metres away. We were completely vulnerable to them and they took full advantage of that."  "There's a lot of people who knew what was about to happen. I'm sure of it." Wonder if this attack was planned by a few people to undermind what the troops were trying to accomplish there or planned by a majority of townspeople and elders.  Kinda hard to tell since  all the men and elders deserted the town but left the women and children.


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## raymao

My sentiments for Lieut. Greene, his family and his friends are solid with the entire panel of posts regarding his recovery.


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## Northern Touch

Quick Recovery and God Speed Captain.


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## Mignault.J

Just as an update....I havent heard anything from my familiy in Germany but Trevor is with his wife and parents now....ill post with more info as i get it
just pray for him


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## Franko

Please place all your support and well wishes for Capt Green's here. 

Any updates on his condition are appreciated as well




For further updates on the incident please see:
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/40548.0/all.html

To show your support for the troops in KAF:
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/40651.0.html

Regards


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## reccecrewman

Stay strong and pull through Sir, My families thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.


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## Rhibwolf

Trevor, when I told you that seeing the elephant first time round was a good sign, I might have been wrong mate.  That said, its unlikely that the elephant will come back a third time.  Patricia and I wish you a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing you when you get home.   
Yours, Aye
---Killer


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## IN HOC SIGNO

According to the Chronicle Herald this morning Capt Greene is opening his eyes and recognises his Dad, Mom. sister and wife....these are all tremendous signs of improvement (my wife is an OR nurse).

Good on you mate! You are in the fight of your life and Canadians are all pulling for you in our thoughts and prayers. A grateful nation salutes you.


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## JJ

Capt. Greene is comming home! 

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=8c9b71f1-c757-4fe5-afc9-4b4d34179ab7


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## The Gues-|-

Speedy recovery Capt.!


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## Kirkhill

All the best to Capt Greene and his family.


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## Rhibwolf

Has anyone heard any news about Trevor recently?


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## combat_medic

Last I heard, he's back in Canada and recovering at VGH. I don't think he's out of the coma yet, but he's apparently making steady improvements.


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## bbbb

I read his bio too. Get well soon Capt Greene.

Have a good day!


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## Kev T

Good to hear that Capt. Greene's condition is improving. My thoughts and prayers are with him and the troops overseas. May he have a fast, full, complete, and successful recovery and may the troops have a successful mission and a safe return home.


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## Thompson_JM

+ 1  To all these Posts

Godspeed to a Full Recovery Sir.


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## Teflon

As a member of 1 Pl, A Coy and someone who only shortly prior to the incident, met Capt Greene, I hope and pray for his recovery. The prayers and thoughts of whole platoon are with you Sir and just keep fighting the good fight, Your a good man and the world still needs you!


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## military granny

Has anyone heard anthing on how Capt. Greene is doing?


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## Franko

No...haven't heard a peep.   ???

Regards


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## gregkelley

As a good mate of Capt. Trevor Greene, attacked and severely injured last month, I would like to say that Trev has always believed deeply about following his dreams of serving his country, in many different forms. We first met in Japan (Christmas, 1993) and have continued to hike, discuss business and enjoy the odd pint together, most rececently the night before he left for Edmonton, then Afghanistan, in January. His beautiful, young daughter continually enthralled my young daughter as the four of us adult parents enjoyed dinner and drinks.   
Trev's immediate family is truly amazing in their love and support for him during his recovery. His wife is more than everything a husband and injured soldier could ask for, at the hospital daily with their young daughter and beaming to eager ears with encouragement upon each slow improvement in his condition.    
I had the sincere pleasure of meeting his wonderful parents for the first time a few weeks ago, helping to re-introduce a mutual friend; well-moralled & discerning mentor of Trev's from his times in Japan.
Trev always told me before, during and after his training with the Canadian Navy THEN before and during his continued work with the Canadian Army that, mate, " I really want to serve my country."
Well, Trev, your best intentions are truly appreciated and I, for one, hope that your unselfish efforts are never forgotten, never questioned and never un-followed .
Keep-up the weekly improvements and please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you!
Hope to see you up-and-well soon!  

Greg


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## ethan

Hope you have a speedy recovery


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## combat_medic

Last report I heard about Capt Greene's condition is that he is continuing to improve. He is apparently conscious and able to open his eyes and read, but he has not been able to communicate verbally as of yet. 

Slow and steady, but he is getting better.


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## IN HOC SIGNO

combat_medic said:
			
		

> Last report I heard about Capt Greene's condition is that he is continuing to improve. He is apparently conscioius and able to open his eyes and read, but he has not been able to communicate verbally as of yet.
> 
> Slow and steady, but he is getting better.



Thank God for that. I hope and pray that he has a full recovery.


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## Bruce Monkhouse

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2006/03/14/1487855-cp.html

By CAMILLE BAINS
    
VANCOUVER (CP) - A Canadian soldier who suffered severe head wounds in an axe attack in Afghanistan has gone from a drug-induced coma to quipping with nurses about his beer-drinking skills, according to his wife. 
The recovery of Capt. Trevor Greene, a civil-military co-operation officer, after the incident on March 4 is detailed in a blog by Debbie. 

She responded by telephone to an e-mail request for an interview and confirmed she wrote the entry, but she declined to provide any more details or give her last name. 
"Some would say it is a miracle he has made it this far," she said in the entry, dated Wednesday. 
She said Greene began physiotherapy this week at Vancouver General Hospital, where he was transferred after a brief stay at a U.S. military facility in Landstuhl, Germany. 

Greene, 41, was attacked while he was sitting down for what he thought would be a friendly gathering of elders in an Afghanistan village. 
He had put down his weapon and removed his helmet during the meeting when a villager in his teens snuck up behind him, pulled an axe from his clothing and struck him in the head. 
Following the attack, the villager was shot dead, kicking off a firefight where insurgents threw a grenade and traded small arms fire with Canadian and Afghan troops. 

"Every week we see improvements in Trevor's recovery - sometimes big, sometimes little - but the trend is definitely upwards," Debbie said in the blog that includes hundreds of postings from well-wishers, including Greene's childhood friends. 
Debbie said Greene has begun eating a regular diet, including a daily latte, chocolate, sushi and fresh fruit. 
"He is now in the longest chapter of the healing process - rehabilitiation." 

Debbie described Greene's speech as "soft and a bit patchy," adding that a nurse remarked how the soldier told him: "Wow, you can sure suck back the water!" 
"Having said nothing to her all night, he said, 'You should see me drink beer!' Hopefully that gives some comfort about Trevor's state of mind," the soldier's wife wrote. 
From his classmates in journalism school at University of King's College Halifax, to colleagues Greene worked with in Toyko before he joined the Canadian forces and even a man who met him in a Vancouver coffee shop, countless people have posted e-mails to express their shock at what happened to Greene. 

Postings on the blog describe him as a selfless and dedicated soldier with a great sense of humour and a love for music. 
There's one from a family whose daughter dated Greene in high school, another from a man whose son played minor football with him 25 to 30 years ago and still another from a childhood friend who worked on a model airplane with the soldier when the two were kids. 
"We went to Japan together in September 1988 and had some great times," said one posting. 

"I was convinced he was never going to be able to learn Japanese! He proved me wrong, big time. I think he is the type of person that touches everyone he comes across." 
Debbie said in the blog that Greene continues to receive letters and cards that will all be shared with him. 
"Keep them coming, he'll get a great chuckle out of them one day." 

Debbie said despite Greene's experience, she still supports Canada's mission to Afghanistan and that she'd known since he met him that he wanted to help the country's people. 
"I don't feel any anger or acrimony towards the Afghan people for the accident," she said. "I don't believe Trevor would (either)." 

"I have learned more about our involvement in Afghanistan and really feel that they need the help of our troops and the support of Canadians to enjoy the freedoms we often take for granted."


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## IN HOC SIGNO

This is the answer to a lot of peoples' thoughts and prayers. Saw his Dad on TV this morning...what a great guy. God speed Capt Greene and a full recovery!!


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## Hot Lips

God Bless you on your road to recovery.

HL


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## Rice0031

I was just thinking about this guy today and wondering how he's been doing. I haven't been able to find any info on how he might be.
Anyone know?


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## Gunner

Rice0031 said:
			
		

> I was just thinking about this guy today and wondering how he's been doing. I haven't been able to find any info on how he might be.
> Anyone know?



You haven't been able to find anything because his medical condition is none of your business.  Should his family want to feed the morbid curiosity of the general public, they will issue a media advisory.


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## 1feral1

In Australia a while back, I watched a program on CAPT Greene's slow yet positive recovery, and his wife was interviewed. So its not just a national story.

Get well soon mate!


Wes


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## Gunner

Wes, I think that was for a different wounded soldier as I am unaware of any programs outlining Capt Greene's recovery.

Cheers,


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## 1feral1

No, it was the axe incident involving the CAPT, and the program dealt with a 16 yr old 'healer' from Vancouver, who was brought in to assist in his recovery. CAPT Greene was one of several in the story, which was a US televison program.

Does that ring a bell? Something like 60 Minutes, 48 hrs one of those types of shows.

Cheers,

Wes


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## Teddy Ruxpin

I vaguely remember it being 20/20...  I saw it too...rather odd...  :-\


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## Gunner

Seen Wes, I understand the context now. Thanks.


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## Pea

I too watched that program where the healer was brought in to work with Capt Green. 

I haven't seen anymore info on his condition since then though.


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## Rice0031

I didn't mean to bring this up in a negative light.
I just hope the guy is doing alright.


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## The Bread Guy

An update - sounds like it's still an uphill push.  Thoughts and prayers to the family....

Shared in accordance with the "fair dealing" provisions, Section 29, of the Copyright Act - http://www.cb-cda.gc.ca/info/act-e.html#rid-33409

*Captain Greene's toughest mission*
Mark Hume, Globe & Mail, 21 Oct 06
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20061021.GREENE21/TPStory/National
or
http://milnewstbay.pbwiki.com/79243

VANCOUVER — Debbie Lepore was lying in bed with the darkness of night starting to soften and cold showers falling on the city when she heard someone at the door.

She knew immediately what it meant. Her man was in Afghanistan. And there in the darkness, before the phone started to ring incessantly, before the haunting images began to flicker across the television screen with news reports, she knew.

Something terrible had happened to Captain Trevor Greene, the big, good looking, athletic writer and soldier she had met five years earlier, to whom she was engaged, and with whom she had recently had a baby girl, named Grace.

“It was about 6 or 6:30 in the morning. Saturday. March 4th,” she said in an interview from Vancouver General Hospital this week, where she goes daily.

Related to this article

Lieutenant Trevor Greene, of Vancouver, B.C., is seen in this undated photo. 

“There was a knock on the door. You know instantly what it is.”

She'd had that premonition once before, months earlier, when Canadian military officers had come to her Vancouver home to tell her Capt. Greene, 41, had suffered minor injuries in an attack on an armoured vehicle he was in.

“I had a sense it was more serious this time,” she said.

And it was. Capt. Greene, a man who friends say always wanted “to do good,” a champion of the downtrodden who wrote books about the missing women of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside and the homeless in Japan, was struck in the head with an axe when he sat down with Afghan villagers to talk about how to get clean water for their homes and farms.

A member of a military unit known as CIMIC, for Civilian-Military Co-operation, Capt. Greene had taken off his helmet as a sign of trust and respect.

He was attacked from behind, suffering a deep head wound that put him in a coma for weeks, and which, nearly eight months later, has left him confined to a hospital bed. His attacker was shot dead.

Capt. Green was not the first Canadian soldier to be injured in Afghanistan, but the attack on him shocked Canadians — perhaps because its nature brought home to them the reality that this was a mission like no other, where violence and treachery could come from anywhere, without warning.

Ms. Lepore held her breath and opened the front door.

“I can't recall what was said. I can't even remember who was there. One was a military padre,” she said.

She laughed at herself for forgetting the details. “I don't know if it was the shock or maybe it's just that so much has happened since then. But the details are gone.”

A lot has happened since then, as Capt. Greene has begun a second mission – one at least as challenging as anything he faced in Afghanistan – where the goal is simply to get well, get whole again.

In that moment, Ms. Lepore's life was also changed dramatically. She went from having a busy, orderly life filled with raising Grace and crunching numbers for the Catalyst Paper Corp., to one that has submerged her in the medical world of head trauma and rehabilitation.

“I am the type of person who just gets immersed in it,” she said. “I have to learn everything about it to the point where I sometimes catch myself using medical jargon to friends who have no idea what I'm talking about.”

Within 24 hours of hearing of the attack, she was en route to a hospital in Landsthul, Germany, accompanied by Capt. Greene's parents and Canadian military escorts, who have stayed in touch with her almost daily since then.

“When I first saw him he was in a medically induced coma,” she said. “But he looked like his old self. Except for the swelling (from his head wound). I felt right then he was going to make it.”

In the months since then, Capt. Greene's family and friends have maintained a constant vigil, praying that one day he will be fully recovered.

For now, it remains a struggle where progress is measured in the simplest movements, a smile, or a few words, a gesture with a hand.

He is mostly confined to a bed at Vancouver General Hospital. His family and friends visit him daily.

Ms. Lepore or others take turns holding up a newspaper for him to read, or reading to him from books.

He does crossword puzzles with the help of friends. Sometimes he sends messages on a BlackBerry (a friend types; he presses send) or has brief conversations. Talking is difficult because he has had a tracheotomy, a surgical procedure to open his wind pipe, which leaves his throat dry.

Ms. Lepore works daily with him on physical rehabilitation, moving his limbs, helping him from his bed to sit in a chair, massaging his atrophied muscles. And every day she gives him a Chinese herbal footbath.

Although progress is slow, she said, he has been showing great signs of recovery, regaining his sense of touch – and his famous sense of humour.

“You can make him laugh and it's great when he does,” she said.

One day a nurse commented on his ability to drink lots of water.

“You should see me drink beer,” he said.

There is no official prognosis. His head injury was severe and doctors don't know how far he can go in recovery, or how fast. But Ms. Lepore, other family members and friends who have visited him all say the same thing.

If anybody can make a come back from this, it's Trevor, or ‘Bubba' as he's known to his closest friends.

Ms. Lepore said her faith in his ability to recover was shaken only once, early at Landsthul, when he slipped from medically stable to unstable.

“We did a lot of praying that night,” she said. “And the next day he bounced back and was stable – and I have never doubted since then. I really believe in positive energy and I have nothing but positive thoughts. As my grandmother says, ‘Why worry about what might not happen?' I just believe everything's going to be good, everything is going to work out.”

Ms. Lepore isn't alone in that approach. Shortly after news of the attack on Capt. Greene, a network of his friends, alerted by e-mails, text messages and phone calls, gathered at his favourite Vancouver beach, Jericho. About 50 people came out in a lashing rainstorm to share stories about the rugby player and reserve soldier who stepped up when the call to Afghanistan came — because he thought he could help bring peace to a war-torn area where people deserved better.

“We just wanted to send out positive energy,” said Barb Stegemann who helped organize that spontaneous gathering. She has been a friend of Capt. Greene's since they went to school together at University of Kings College, in Halifax, in the 1980s, where they were both in the rowing program and shared a mentor who encouraged them to “serve the homeless and those who were unprotected in society.”

Ms. Stegemann described him as a remarkable man with a passion for life and a deep feeling of compassion for those in need.

Striving to establish his credentials as a writer, he took on difficult subjects where he could give a voice to those who had none in mainstream society.

That same attitude led him to become a CIMIC officer, where he could work on helping “the average Afghan,” get basic things like food, water and schools.

Ms. Stegemann described Capt. Greene, renowned for his athletic skills as a rugby player and rower, as a big man, 6 feet 7 inches, with a gentle soul and gregarious personality.

“I really think it's important to convey the fact that he's always been a protector of people. I always used to tease him about his white horse he comes charging in on. But he's always looked out for people that are being bullied or harmed. I remember in university he would go across the campus to ensure that a girl got across safely, even if he didn't know her. He wouldn't let someone leave an event and walk alone. I always thought that was remarkable for a young man to be so protective of people. I think that really testifies as to why he went to Afghanistan, to ensure that the people there are heard and that they feel protected. I think that connects and loops back to everything else that he is.”

Ms. Stegemann said she was shocked when a phone call alerted her to Capt. Greene's injury, and she didn't know what to expect when she first visited him at the hospital. But after seeing the recovery he's made so far she believes he's going to prevail.

“Doctors have said you don't see injuries like this very often. Dealing with an injury like that is new ground. But he's remarkably strong, incredibly strong, to be with us still after that severe attack. He's on his own healing journey and he has successes every day and for that we're grateful,” she said.

Robyn Gibson, another friend from college, said he was “shaken and terrified” when he heard of the attack but quickly his fears gave way to a feeling of confidence.

“To get in there and see him and see that infectious smile, to see those bright eyes, was just to reassure me what I know, which is that Trevor will make a full recovery,” he said.

Mr. Gibson recalled an outing he had with his friend before he went to Afghanistan. Out of the blue Capt. Greene called up to say he wanted to go bike riding. But Mr. Gibson, “a Lance Armstrong wannabe” warned him off, saying he'd be taking a high performance bike on a gruelling, high speed ride out around the University of B.C. campus and Vancouver International Airport.

Capt. Greene, he said, showed up on an old mountain bike, wearing flip flops – and proceeded to stick with him for the whole ride.

“He's just not a quitter,” he said, laughing at the memory. “It just never occurred to him to turn back.”

“This will tell you something about him,” he added. “ I think his greatest disappointment to finding himself in that hospital is that he won't finish his mission. I know that sounds crazy, but this is a guy who believes in the Canadian mission, who believes in the UN . . . if he regrets anything it's that he didn't complete the job.”

Richard Greene, Capt. Greene's father, agreed with that assessment.

One of the first things his son asked doctors when he regained the ability to talk was when he'd be able to go back to Afghanistan.

Mr. Greene, a retired RCMP officer, said he thought he knew his son well before the accident, but has learned more about him since, by listening to his large circle of friends talk about the life he led.

He and his son have particularly enjoyed the company of Capt. Greene's former rugby teammates from the Vancouver Rowing Club.

“They have left rugby balls and rugby shirts all over the hospital room,” he said. “They are a rowdy bunch. And Trevor just loves seeing them.”

On the field Capt. Greene was a big, physical player and it is frustrating for him to be bedridden, Mr. Greene said.

Last month Capt. Greene went through a second round of head surgery, after earlier operations in May. Since then, Mr. Greene said, there has been noticeable improvement.

“His motor skills were very severely damaged. But he can move his arms and fingers and hands. The reconnections are taking place and he's able to do a heck of a lot more now than he did in July.”

“He wants to come back. We know that,” Mr. Greene said. “It's now up to us to bring him back.”

When he says “us,” he means Capt. Greene's family, his large circle of friends, his military supporters, doctors, therapists – and the thousands of Canadians who have sent messages of support and prayer.

But mostly he means his son's fiancée, Ms. Lepore, who Capt. Greene planned to marry on his return from Afghanistan.

Friends describe her as “an angel” who brings a sense of hope with her on every visit to the hospital.

Ms. Lepore said the greatest motivator both for her and Capt. Greene, is their bubbly, 21-month-old daughter.

“Grace is always happy. She's a joy for us both,” she said.

Capt. Greene will soon be able to leave the hospital and the family is searching for a rehabilitation facility that is experienced with handling patients with such severe brain injuries.

Ms. Lepore said that will probably require leaving B.C. and perhaps Canada. She will have to quit her job, leaving a company that has been “incredibly supportive.”

But she won't hesitate to pack up and move both herself and Grace.

“Wherever he goes, we go,” she said. “We're his team.”


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## daftandbarmy

Good show Trevor.

http://www.canada.com/globaltv/bc/story.html?id=8f73cf7b-2cdb-4929-b178-6bf2b0f3b910&k=52512


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## Rice0031

Good stuff, that's what I like to hear!
Wish the best, and get well!


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## GAP

Amazing stuff....


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## 1feral1

Now this is a story which deserves to be told!

For once, the media delivers story full of human interest, emotion and hope. 

To have such support from the overall CF community, his family, friends, and an obvious strong and dedicated fiance, who never gave up. Thats really the best news, infact the best news I have truly enjoyed since I have been here.

With all the carnage here (especially yesterday's), this news has put a smile on my face.

Its still an up hill battle for him, but at least there is light at the end of the tunnel now.

Best of luck to CAPT Greene for a speedy recovery!


Regards from Baghdad,


Wes


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## Yrys

daftandbarmy said:
			
		

> http://www.canada.com/globaltv/bc/story.html?id=8f73cf7b-2cdb-4929-b178-6bf2b0f3b910&k=52512



from that article :



> Lepore, who is not one to complain, says she is having a difficult time getting proper therapy for Trevor. "He's only given 30 minutes of physiotherapy sessions at a time," she says. "He has had virtually no speech therapy for most of the time that he's been in hospital."
> 
> "I've been playing telephone and e-mail tag with military officials in Ottawa to find out why they're not providing more help. As I write this, I still don't have an answer."


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## Donut

I recall seeing Capt Greene around the HQ, and I was involved in his predeployment medical processing, but that's as far as my personal connection with him has gone. I do know several of the staff on his ward (including a PRes Nursing Officer and his case manager), and several of the CFHS Gp staff who are responsible for his care, as well as many of his neighbors, friends, and members of his Regimental Family.

Initially I thought this was a great article, although I did notice the author took the chance to make a couple of digs at the CF, and thereby reduced my opinion enormously.

Capt Greene is, from what I've been told, like many other victims of traumatic brain injuries, unable to tolerate more then 30 minutes of physio at a time.  It's not for a lack of support; DND is augmenting his ward with several staff dedicated to looking after him, along with the other fantastic staff at one of BCs finest health care facilities.  While I'm sure his family and friends, and he himself, would like to see faster progress, sometimes it's just not medically possible for that to happen.

Any other comments will be straying outside my lane of personal knowledge of his care and rehabilitation, so I'll stop there, except to say that I wish him, and all our wounded, as speedy and complete a recovery as can be, and the best for their families and friends.

DF


----------



## mudrecceman

No words I can think of can say it better than


----------



## medaid

I wish him and his family all the best, and a speedy recovery.


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## Babbling Brooks

It seems there's going to be a fundraiser for Capt Greene in Vancouver on 26SEP07, according to a friend of mine who went to school with him:

http://www.genx40.com/archives/2007/september/afundraiserfor

Apparently you can also donate by PayPal - just follow the links in the post at GenX.

My guess is that they wouldn't be asking for help if they didn't need it.


----------



## The Bread Guy

A little more of the latest (it looks like some of the speech therapy came through), shared with the usual disclaimer - highlights and embedded links mine....

*Afghan axe-attack victim's recovery slow but sure*
Lena Sin, CanWest News Service, 30 Sept 07
Article link

VANCOUVER -- The flutter in Capt. Trevor Greene's legs last week may seem infinitesimal, but it's the first sign that the B.C. soldier and former journalist, author and entrepreneur may one day walk again.

"He is so determined," says Debbie Lepore, Greene's fiancee. "His main goal is walking. We're a long, long, long way off from that, but that's his main goal."

A year and a half ago, Greene was at a meeting with Afghan village elders when he took off his helmet and laid down his weapon out of respect. Moments later, a crazed teen leapt out of the crowd and buried an axe deep into Greene's head. His fellow soldiers shot the attacker dead.

The brutal blow left Greene immobile and unable to speak, but his cognitive capacity remained intact. Now, sheer determination is seeing him through his mission of recovery.

Remarkably, Greene, 42, wants Canadians to know that he'd go back overseas in a heartbeat.

*"We cannot give in to terrorists," he says in a barely audible whisper. He staunchly believes that success is possible in Afghanistan, that Canada needs to stay the course but adds: "It's time for another NATO country to step up and take the lead."*

Greene was speaking from his sun-drenched clinic room in Ponoka, Alta., with a Superman blanket, a gift from Lepore, pulled over his bed.

In July, the couple and their two-year-old daughter, Grace, left Vancouver for the small town, 95 kilometres south of Edmonton, so that Greene can receive the best brain injury care in the country at the Centennial Centre for Mental Health and Brain Injury.

For the military reservist who has had a varied career as a journalist, business consultant and author of three books, the victories do not come easily.

But already, there's progress. Last October, after months of silence, Greene whispered his first words. Today, his voice is back to normal at least 20 per cent of the time. In December, his feeding tube was taken out and, as of March, he no longer needed a tracheostomy tube.

He has regained some promising movement in his left arm and, as of last week, some tiny - but definite - movement in his legs and torso muscles.

"It's so slow," Lepore says, but it's progress.

"And all these little things are going to be adding up. He's definitely improved since he's been here at the centre. It's exciting to see all these incremental improvements because they will add up to maybe him sitting up on his own or him feeding himself on his own."

At the brain injury clinic, Greene's week is packed with therapy as he tries to rewire his brain.

"Everything for him is just repetition and getting better at it and for his brain to reconnect all the things he used to do," says Lepore.

While the military is covering medical costs, friends and family can't help but worry about the couple's financial future.

To be by her fiance's side, Lepore had to quit her part-time accounting job in Vancouver. There's no telling how long the family will need to stay in Alberta.

Last week, friends and family in Vancouver showed their support by holding a fundraiser to help the Greene family cope with expenses not covered by the military.

Greene's friend, Rob Gibbs, admits it was difficult seeing Greene for the first time in hospital last year.

The man then confined to a bed 24 hours a day had worked as a reporter in Japan for seven years while authoring a book on the homeless and another on the women missing from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.

"If he could stand up and walk out of that hospital the first thing he'd do is put on his army gear and head back to Afghanistan," said Gibbs. "He's just a humanitarian. It's always about somebody else, he's always trying to help somebody else."

In keeping with his social activism, Greene's role in Afghanistan was that of co-operation officer, in which he met with village elders to hear about their problems.

But, even today, Greene remains modest.

*"I'm just a soldier, I'm not a hero," he says. "The heroes are being scraped off the battlefields."*



*Donations to the Trevor Greene trust fund can be made to CIBC account No. 39-31137, bank No. 010 and transit No. 00500.*

Vancouver Province

lsin@png.canwest.com


----------



## daftandbarmy

I stopped in to see him there in August, so can confirm what they say in the article. Great sense of humour, still. Debbie is fantastic. First class facilities and care. I came away wondering if I and my family could do as well as those folks under similar circumstances. 

A great example to us all if there ever was one.


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## Spanky

Thanks for the update.  It's good to hear that there is progress.


----------



## 284_226

Didn't see this posted elsewhere on the forum.  Reproduced under the Fair Dealings Provisions of the Copyright Act.

http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Front/977759.html



> Counting his blessings
> 
> By CAPT. TREVOR GREENE
> Sat. Nov 10 - 8:25 AM
> 
> EDITOR'S NOTE: This is Capt. Trevor Greene’s first article since he was severely wounded by the Taliban. His recovery from an axe wound to the head is being hailed as a miracle by his physicians. The Nova Scotia native is undergoing rehab in Alberta with his fiancée, Debbie Lepore, and daughter Grace at his side.
> 
> I DIDN’T see it coming but I’m sure I felt it when a Taliban soldier snuck up behind me and split my head open with an axe.
> 
> I was attending a shura, a meeting of elders, outside Kandahar city. I had taken my helmet off out of respect for the elders, a practice that we all followed at that time.
> 
> Only the quick reaction and lightning reflexes of Capt. Kevin Schamuhn of the 3rd Battalion of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, who shot my attacker down, prevented him from landing a second blow. Capt. Schamuhn saved my life.
> 
> After the attack came two spells in hospital starting with almost two weeks in Landstuhl, Germany, followed by 13 months in Vancouver General Hospital, followed by ongoing intensive rehabilitation by the professionals at the Centennial Centre in Alberta.
> 
> I went to Afghanistan because I was disturbed by images of desolation, poverty and oppression and I was proud Canada stepped up to the plate to fight the Taliban.
> 
> All I remember of Afghanistan is dust and heat. I left Canada on Jan. 19, 2006, and was attacked on March 4.
> 
> I’m honoured to say that I’ve had many visitors both military and civilian, including the chief of defence staff, Gen. Rick Hillier; my commanding officer, Lt.-Col. Rob Roy MacKenzie; the ultimate man in motion, Rick Hansen; Eric McCormack, star of Will and Grace; and former defence minister Bill Graham.
> 
> The Canadian Forces have been both generous and thoughtful, starting with the visit from Gen. Hillier and continuing with the appointment of assisting officers; Mike Larose and Dave Gilmour in Vancouver and Steve Basaraba and Colin Coutts in Edmonton.
> 
> Remembrance Day for me now is very vivid and real. Some of my colleagues and friends aren’t coming back from Afghanistan.
> 
> We have to go the distance and deny the terrorists a base of operations from which to spread their poison. The Canadian army and its first-rate soldiers have honourably fought the Taliban to a standstill. Our NATO partners will no doubt handle their lead role with equal aplomb.
> 
> When I was growing up, I remember putting up flags on the lawn for Remembrance Day and attending parades. As a young boy, I didn’t fully understand the meaning of the day. My father, Richard Greene, a retired RCMP staff sergeant, would stand at attention with fingers curled, thumbs pointing down the seams of his trousers, honouring his father, Enoch Greene, a member of the 108th Battalion (New Brunswick) of the Canadian Expeditionary Forces in the First World War. I gradually came to learn that Canada was honouring its war dead.
> 
> I’m in a wheelchair now. My elbows and wrists ache from being clenched at night, and my hands don’t work. As I dictate this, my voice is at the level of a whisper, much improved, I’m told, from earlier communication via eye blinks. I’m on painkillers and sleeping pills. I have dents in my skull and double vision, but my eyes aren’t crossed, my speech isn’t slurred and I don’t drool. I am one of the lucky ones.
> 
> I came home to the love and support of a beautiful, incredible woman, my fiancée, Debbie Lepore, and our baby girl, Grace Greene. I am looking forward to spending the rest of my days with them and the large group of friends who have been steadfastly supportive.
> 
> I will eventually heal, however, and I dedicate this column to those who have fallen.



Well done, sir.  May you continue to recover and enjoy all that life has to offer.


----------



## Kirkhill

Sir.


----------



## GAP




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## kratz

Sir


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## Mike Baker

Thank you Sir, for all you have done. Get well soon.


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## military granny

Picture in todays paper


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## 1feral1

CAPT Greene's recovery has been a slow road, but each day he improves, and with the support from us 'green skins', and the overall goodness of Canadians at large, it makes things all the better.

The lady in his life has done so much, and she too deserves recognition for her 'duty' above and beyond the call.

One day down means on day closer to a better recovery overall.


Hats off to both CAPT Greene, and Ms Lepore!


Wes


----------



## tomahawk6

A remarkable story about Captain Green's spirit and the woman that has stood by him through his ordeal.Prayers for continued progress toward a full recovery.

http://www.genx40.com/archive/2008/november/anupdateon

An update on Trevor’s progress is long overdue with much to write about.

On July 23rd, 2007, after over a year in Vancouver General Hospital, we joyfully left BC for the hope of rehabilitation at the Halvar Johnson Centre for Brain Injury in Ponoka, Alberta. We were advised by the doctors at VGH to put Trevor in a long-term care facility and “let him get on with his life”. I didn’t have to wonder too long what life would be like in a public long term care facility. I wasn’t about to let that happen. We flew out of BC via military flight early on a rainy “wet” coast morning. We were met at the airport by an honor guard from Trevor’s unit in Vancouver, the Seaforth Highlanders. Not surprisingly, this is Trevor’s first memory after the injury. He doesn’t remember any of his time at VGH, which is a blessing in spite of some of the wonderful people we came to know during our time there. I have many pictures and have filled him in on various events and people at that time. I also kept a daily journal for him to read which he has been going through of late. He is endeared by so many of the stories of the true spirit of friendship and generosity. Thank you to everyone who visited Trevor, sent cards, gifts and even prayers for him. He tells me he plans to respond to every one “in the fullness of time”.

When we arrived at the Rehab Centre in Alberta, we were told there was very little chance of recovery and that he would be offered medication trials only and wouldn’t participate in rehab. Fortunately, I had become very good at selective listening by this stage. I had read many stories of people overcoming the odds and I knew Trevor was capable of being one of those stories especially since modern research has found the brain to be “plastic” and able to reprogram itself if given proper cues. In my head I would think, “we’ll see”. Knowing Trevor’s spirit, I felt that he would respond and step up to the challenge rather than languish in this huge body for the rest of his life. I knew he would rather die than live in a wheelchair in a long-term care facility. If this was to happen, someone had to give him a chance to succeed. Thankfully, the Centennial Centre gave him that chance. He proved me right. He did succeed and surprised everyone. When we were admitted to the Centre, he had little to no purposeful movement. He is now able to do bench presses, leg presses and more functional activities like eating, shaving and brushing his teeth. His technique isn’t perfect and he requires a little help with each task but he gets better with each month that passes. When we entered the Centre he barely had a voice. He is now able to speak clearly and articulately and almost at his original level. On September 12, 2008 after 14 months in rehabilitation, we left the Centennial Centre and all our friends in Ponoka for our new home in Nanaimo, BC. 

Rehab is far from over for Trevor. His goal is to walk. We’ve been told it’s not realistic by some but this just drives us even harder. We’ve encountered many obstacles over the past 2 ½ years and tackled them head on. Walking isn’t going to happen overnight but we believe it will happen in the fullness of time. In the meantime, we work with our new expert team, have fun and enjoy the journey. Rehabilitation is Trevor’s job. His hard work is paying off. He works out over 2 hours a day and is seeing progress and results weekly. He’s a proud man and isn’t content to have people helping him but he has accepted it as a means to an end. He is scheduled to get a universal gym in the new future for his workouts.

There are many people to thank throughout this journey. I’ll do my best although words cannot express how much these people have done for us in their own way. For those whose paths we haven’t crossed, you no doubt need to be thanked for keeping Trevor, Grace and I in your thoughts and prayers, thank you. 

The first group to give a special thanks to is PPCLI ‘A’ Company (ROTO 0, Op Archer), specifically platoon commander Kevin Schamuhn, and section commander Sergeant Rob Dolson, for their quick thinking and rapid response reflexes that prevented the young fellow from taking what would have been a final death blow at Trevor. Your courage and expert training saved Trevor’s life. We are forever grateful for your actions on the afternoon of March 4, 2006. A large debt of gratitude is extended to Shawn Marshall, medic with A Company that day for your proficiency in stopping the bleeding and saving Trevor’s life with the skills your were bestowed. The entire group should be applauded for comforting Trevor and encouraging his soul to stay with us while awaiting the Blackhawk’s arrival for transport to Kandahar hospital.

Special thanks to Sergeant Gary Adams, medic onboard the US Blackhawk helicopter. Gary was instrumental in unblocking Trevor’s airway amongst other procedures on the flight to Kandahar Hospital. Gary flew to Vancouver from overseas on his time off to visit us. He was met with a night out with the rugby gang. I’m told he did survive the night. I did get to thank Gary personally that night but there are never enough thank you’s for helping to save a life!

I haven’t had a chance personally to meet Dr. Homer Tien, trauma surgeon at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Hospital, who stabilized Trevor in Kandahar Hospital for the flight to Landshtuhl, Germany. Thank you to Dr.Tien and his staff at the Kandahar Hospital.

An expert team of doctors met Trevor at the Landshtuhl Regional Medical Centre in Germany. Dr.’s Sorini and Johnson (and team) performed life-saving surgery which allowed Trevor’s brain to swell without causing additional damage. Both doctors no doubt saw many horrific injuries from the battlefield during their time in Germany. We were blessed that they were there when Trevor arrived. These doctors gave Trevor his life back and a future for our family. Heartfelt thanks to both of these exceptional surgeons. Also a big thank you to Dr.Catherine Gray for being a liason between the doctors and family in Landshtuhl. We appreciated meeting you every night for a briefing of the days events, in layman terms. We wish you all the best on the birth of your first child and look forward to seeing you next time you’re on the island. The care Trevor received in Germany from the doctors and nursing staff was second to none. We applaud these people for looking after our injured soldiers.

Although our time at VGH was fraught with numerous ups and downs, I appreciate the efforts of the nursing staff, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and respiratory therapists in all the four+ units Trevor was in. I also appreciate the work of Dr.Woodhurst, nuerosurgeon for the second bilateral cranioplasty which successfully repaired Trevor’s skull. An extra special thank you to Cynthia Wilson, physiotherapist for remaining committed to Trevor despite the lack of initiation, awareness and results. Trevor doesn’t remember much from VGH but he does remember your big smile and vibrant personality. You are a talented physiotherapist and a compassionate person. I have videos from when a thumbs up or 12 minutes of keeping his head up was a big day. You provided the building blocks for much greater things!

A warm hug to Ray McDonald of VGH spiritual services. Thank you for dropping by Trevor’s room with your guitar and furry friends. I miss laughing with you and hearing your stories and songs in person. You were a great source of comfort during those turbulent times. Also a big thank you to Dr.’s Dhawan and Reebye, physiatrists for being “cautiously optimistic” about Trevor’s outcome. It was a pleasure knowing and working with both of these specialists in Vancouver.

This note would go on and on forever if I mentioned everyone’s gifts in detail but a big part of this journey has been various “healing hands”. These folks added their touch to Trevor’s mind, body and soul despite the critical eyes of hospital staff. The first was Adam, a gifted healer who worked his magic on Trevor during the critical first few months of his injury. I have no doubts this young man has very special powers. He was able to see early on the “spark” in Trevor brain. Numerous others have helped to bring this spark to life including our good friend Eve for the months of Reiki (and tea), John Blazevic and Janet Cook for the acupuncture, Andy Bryce for the EFT, and Anita Lawrence for the spiritual guidance. In Ponoka, we were fortunate to find Trish Bowie at the wellness Centre, Heather Lambert for craniosacral therapy and Jennifer Davidson for her magical massage therapy. 

We are so grateful to Dr. Gray and his team of professionals at the Centennial Centre in Ponoka. We were fortunate to work with the best of the best at the Center including physiotherapist, Lori, occupational therapist, Kunle and speech therapist, Leah. Although we presented a huge challenge, these capable professionals rose to it in their respective fields. Thank you to Dr. Gray for his knowledge and expertise with the botox needle, I’m sure Trevor won’t have to worry about wrinkles in his upper body for a long, long time. Also a big thank you to Rebecca and Jamie, recreational therapists at the Centre. We had many, many laughs with you both and miss you incredibly. 

A big thank you to Theresa Hacking and Greg Edmonds and the Military Casualty Support Foundation (MCSF) for your generous gift toward our wheelchair accessible van. The van has been an essential part of our lives. In Ponoka, the van gave Trevor the freedom to leave the Centre for weekends and outings with the family. Since we’ve been home, it’s been critical for appointments at the physiotherapist, an hour drive each way. This organization was created to fill the gaps not currently met through the Ministry of National Defense programs and services. Information on contributions to the MCSF can be found at www.mcsf.com.

We are so incredibly grateful to Nick Twyman, Dave Neufeld, Valerie and Rob Gibbs, Deanna Vandeneykel and everyone who contributed to or assisted with the fundraisers. We have comfort knowing that we have a backup fund for Trevor’s ongoing rehabilitation or recreation needs. What we don’t spend on rehab we plan to pay it forward to those in need.

Lastly, a big thank you to the Department of National Defense with special thanks to our case managers Steve Stawiarski and Lisa Bardon for providing Trevor with the best any soldier could hope to receive. Canadians should be proud of the way their country took care of its injured soldier. We received the best Christmas gift in 2007 from the military engineers who installed a lift in our house which allowed Trevor to come home for Christmas and weekends thereafter. A sincere thank you to the Seaforth Highlanders for your continued support throughout Trevor’s recovery. We appreciate the place you set for him at each mess dinner. We were honored to attend the inaugural family day at the regiment on Nov 8th this year and look forward to future events. Also a big thank you to the military folks in Edmonton, specifically the CIMIC and OSI fellows for your support. It really helped Trevor get through the rough phases. We were able to personally thank Ponoka Legionnaires Dave MacPherson and Hugh Greene for your visits also during our time in Alberta. Trevor and I were so blessed to have weekly visitors from all facets of our lives since the very start of this long “marathon of baby steps”. The visitors started immediately when we arrived home in BC and still continue today. We cherish how you keep our connection to our former lives. And thank you to everyone who posted comments on this blog. Trevor is blown away every time he reads it.

Most importantly, thank you to our families and friends who continue to supply us with unwavering support. There are too many of you to list here but you know who you are. XOXO

On Dec 13, 2008 at 7pm PST CTV will air a documentary on Trevor’s recovery. The story follows Trevor after release from 13 months at Vancouver General Hospital until we moved back home to BC. Trevor and I can be reached on facebook for anyone that doesn’t have our contact information.


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## vonGarvin

Very inspiring note indeed!  Keep up the good work, and God Bless you all for sticking by Trevor during this very demanding time.


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## Infanteer

Awesome - well done Captain Green!


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## Marshall

Wow, good job and keep up the rehab.  

I remember hearing about the incident awhile back, I just reread it to jog some memory and I got the shivers AGAIN from it.


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## Timex

T-6 thanks for posting the update


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## ENGINEERS WIFE

Really great to hear he is well on his way, and even if it's slow, he is still going forward. 
Does the heart good to hear stories like this. 

Just goes to show you what the human spirit and body are capable of.
And how having people around you, that love and support you, can be the difference between getting there and not.

It is men, like Capt Greene that Canada such a great country.  A true soldier!!  
Thank you, get well soon!
Robin


----------



## Teflon

CTV Documentary on Capt Trevor Greene

http://www.ctvmedia.ca/ctv/releases/release.asp?id=10939&yyyy=2008



> Canadian Soldier Trevor Greene Defies All Odds In The CTV Original Documentary PEACE WARRIOR, Dec. 13
> 
> – Intimate, one-hour documentary offers an exclusive look into Captain Trevor Greene’s courageous struggle to recover from a horrific axe attack in Afghanistan –
> – Former WILL & GRACE star Eric McCormack provides narration –
> 
> Toronto, ON (November 21, 2008) – In March 2006, Captain Trevor Greene was ambushed from behind and struck in the head with an axe that plunged deep into his brain as he sat down to talk to villagers in Afghanistan. News of the horrific attack made headlines across Canada, as the Canadian officer who went to the war-torn country to spread peace was instead left fighting for his life. In the exclusive CTV Original documentary, PEACE WARRIOR, premiering Saturday, December 13 at 7 p.m. ET on CTV (visit CTV.ca to confirm local listings), Vancouver filmmaker Sue Ridout provides intimate access to Greene’s remarkable journey, as he first fights to survive the near-fatal attack, and then struggles to reclaim some measure of his former life.
> 
> ** Media Note ** - Download photos from PEACE WARRIOR at ctvmedia.ca.
> 
> Of all the stories to emerge from Canada’s mission in Afghanistan, the axe attack on Captain Greene is among the most shocking. Beloved by friends and family for his larger-than-life personality, Greene, a 41-year-old reserve officer from Vancouver, was attending a routine village meeting or “shura” north of Kandahar when he was attacked by a young Afghani. Greene regularly attended these meetings as he travelled around Afghanistan with an Army platoon, helping the Afghan people rebuild their country.
> 
> Greene was not expected to live. He spent the next year in Vancouver General Hospital, nearly dying several times. Doctors predicted that he would never come out of his coma, let alone speak or have any movement again. Amazingly, he proved them all wrong.
> 
> With the unwavering love and support of his fiancée, Debbie, and from a deep desire to be an active father to their young daughter Grace, Greene eventually transfers to a brain injury rehabilitation program in Alberta, where he makes inspiring progress. Through candid interviews with friends, family and fellow soldiers who witnessed the attack, PEACE WARRIOR builds an intimate portrait of a man whose strong will and positive attitude, combined with his peak physical and mental shape before the attack, allow him to surpass everyone’s expectations, despite his devastating brain injury.
> 
> For Canadians who read about the attack on Greene, PEACE WARRIOR is the first glimpse of him since he arrived home in a coma in 2006. The story offers exclusive access to Greene’s harrowing recovery process over an 18-month period and his unfailing determination to one day walk down the aisle with Debbie. The documentary is narrated by Canadian-American actor Eric McCormack, who offered to lend his narration to the film after meeting Greene and immediately being touched by his remarkable story.
> 
> PEACE WARRIOR is directed by Sue Ridout, written by Sue Ridout and Helen Slinger, and was produced and developed by Dreamfilm Productions Ltd. in association with CTV Inc. Bob Culbert is Vice-President of CTV Documentaries. Robert Hurst is President of CTV News and Current Affairs. Susanne Boyce is President, Content, Creative and Channels, CTV Inc.
> 
> CTV, Canada's largest private broadcaster, offers a wide range of quality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming. It has the number-one national newscast, CTV NATIONAL NEWS WITH LLOYD ROBERTSON, and is the number-one choice for prime-time viewing. CTVglobemedia Inc. is Canada's premier multi-media company which owns CTV Inc. and The Globe and Mail. CTV Inc. also owns radio stations across the country, and leading national specialty channels. Other CTVglobemedia investments include an interest in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, and in Dome Productions, a North American leader in the provision of mobile high definition production facilities. More information about CTV may be found on the company website at www.ctv.ca.
> 
> -CTV-



7 PM 13 Dec 08


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## The Bread Guy

I guess MSM missed a few updates - I, too, was fooled (my sincerest apologies to anyone who thought this was news - need my coffee)..... 


> *Soldier injured in axe attack readied for return to Canada*
> Canada in Afghanistan 'long term,' Harper says
> Matthew Fisher, Ottawa Citizen, *4 Dec 08*
> Article link
> 
> Capt. Trevor Greene, badly wounded in an axe attack in Afghanistan 10 days ago, blinked his eyes upon command for the first time yesterday as doctors and nurses prepared him for his return to Canada by air ambulance today.....



_- edited when I realized date HAD TO BE wrong - thanks Old Sweat! -_


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## HollywoodHitman

I've been thinking about Trevor the last little while. I haven't seen him since just a few days before the attack and I remember he was in good spirits and really enjoying his work in Afghanistan. I was impressed with him before, but the courage and tenacity he and his family have shown throughout this entire process sets an example for all of us.

I continue to send you and yours my wishes for a full and speedy recovery Trev.


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## Kirkhill

Just saw Captain Greene being interviewed on CTV about the latest casualties....he continues to support the mission.

He looks good.  An amazing man.


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## armyvern

I'm just watching it now. Heartwarming & inspiring.


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## daftandbarmy

CKNW radio video of Trevor and Debbie


http://www.cknw.com/VideoChannel/View.aspx?PostID=13374


Cabar Feidh


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## Edward Campbell

Here, reproduced under the Fair Dealing provisions (§29) of the Copyright Act from the _CTV News_ web site, is a report on Capt. Green’s progress:
--------------------
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20081212/trevor_greene_081213/20081213?hub=TopStories

 Doc chronicles axe-attack victim's long road to recovery

Updated Sat. Dec. 13 2008 7:21 AM ET

Michael Stittle, CTV.ca News Staff

In early 2006, Capt. Trevor Greene sat down with a group of Afghan elders in a tiny lake-side village.

Following local customs, he removed his protective helmet as a sign of respect and good intentions. But the meeting took a horrific turn: a young man approached the soldier from behind, held aloft an axe, and buried the blade into the back of Greene's head.

It remains as one of the most shocking stories of the war so far. A section of Greene's brain was split in half and a medic at the scene did his best to keep Greene alive until a helicopter rushed him back to Kandahar Airfield.

But what happened after, when Greene was taken back to Canada to his fiancé and young daughter? How did he survive and continue his life?

"Peace Warrior," airing Saturday on CTV at 7 p.m.(check local listings), answers those questions. The documentary traces the slow and remarkable recovery of Greene as his mind repaired itself and he struggled to regain control of his body, in what he calls a "marathon of baby steps."

It's directed by Sue Ridout, who had access to Greene for a crucial 18-month period, as he began his rehabilitation with the tireless support of his fiancee Debbie Lepore.

"I think there was something particularly brutal about (the attack) that made Canadians remember it, perhaps a bit more than some of the other injuries that had happened," she told CTV.ca by phone from Vancouver. "It was just the idea that he was surprised from behind, that he had taken his helmet off as a sign of respect."

She first met Greene in Langley, B.C., where he began his specialized rehabilitation after having his skull reconstructed in Vancouver. He had already overcome the odds by surviving, but the injury had affected his motor skills and he could no longer walk or move.

"He could clearly understand, but he wasn't participating verbally very much. He would say 'Yes' or 'No' and that was about it. His face wasn't very mobile. He wasn't smiling very much. He was pretty different in those days," said Ridout.

Over the course of 18 months, Ridout and a camera crew followed Greene's remarkable progress, chronicling his intense desire to walk again as he struggled through bouts of pneumonia and a blood clot that almost took his life.

He was helped by rehabilitation experts who followed new research into the brain's ability to re-wire itself and overcome catastrophic injury.

[?] … suffered numerous bouts of pneumonia and developed a life-threatening blood clot resulting … [?] _error on the web site_

She also captured his efforts to piece together what happened in Afghanistan, and reunions with the comrades who saved his life -- including the medic first on the scene.

In the first interview Rideout had with Greene in front of a camera, he spoke about the assailant who had come so close to killing him. Instead of showing anger or bitterness, he apologized to the young Afghan, who was killed by Greene's platoon moments after the attack.

"We all just about fell over when he said that. You could have heard a pin drop. We couldn't quite believe that we'd heard what we'd heard. We were all pretty impressed that that was his feeling about it," said Ridout.

"Up until then I'd only really heard him speak in monosyllables. To have him speak in more complete sentences was stunning enough, but then to hear what he was actually saying was even more stunning. I think it's a tribute to the kind of guy he is."

Since his injury, Greene has said he wants to continue to work toward creating peace and stability in Afghanistan -- the country where he nearly died. He was in the country as a member of CMIC, the Civilians Military Co-Operation, a group trained to work closely with locals to help rebuild their communities and foster peace.

In an interview with CTV's Canada AM, a wheelchair-bound but smiling and upbeat Greene said his own sacrifice, and that of the 100 Canadian soldiers who have lost their lives serving in Afghanistan, is a small price to pay for the progress that is being made.

"I will always support the mission. If you look at it in a global sense, 100 deaths protected thousands of Afghans," he said, speaking slowly but clearly.

"We've dug wells, now we're advising government. That's progress."

Greene said his recovery has been driven by his love for Debbie and their young daughter Grace, born just one year before he was deployed, and a "burning desire" not to become another victim of Afghanistan.

In terms of his own personal progress, Lepore helps Greene every step of the way. They begin each day in the gym they have built in their garage, doing muscle-building, core-strength and endurance exercises, and continually working to improve Trevor's dexterity with small items.

"Every day it a new one for us. Every day is interesting," she told Canada AM.

Lepore said her own motivation comes from her love for Greene, his commitment to a full recovery, and the desire for their daughter to grow up with a father.

"I didn't want her to be reading about what a wonderful, fabulous man he was. I wanted her to be able to experience that for herself," Lepore said.

"Our ultimate goal is for Trevor to walk, and that's what we're working towards. It's a long process and there are a lot of steps to go through until we get there, but that's our ultimate goal."

And there's a deadline on that goal. The couple's wedding is planned for next July, and Greene hopes to walk down the aisle.

_With files from Andy Johnson_
--------------------

And note this: "Peace Warrior," airing Saturday [today] on CTV at 7 p.m.(check local listings), answers those questions. The documentary traces the slow and remarkable recovery of Greene as his mind repaired itself and he struggled to regain control of his body, in what he calls a "marathon of baby steps."


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## Nfld Sapper

Just watching W5 and just wow how far Capt. Greene has come.


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## randawg59

Trevor & Family
I served in the Airforce for 25 years,now retired. I was in Doha,Qatar during the Persian Gulf War,in the Middle East on board HMCS Preserver after the 911 attacks for 8 months.I was like you,I signed the dotted line for that very same reason,to what was asked of me. We watched W-5 about you and your speedy recovery and were very touched by it! I don't agree with our participaction in being there but do very support all members in what they are there for! Our support for your speedy recovery to you and your family!! We reside in Nova Scotia as I saw your parents are from here as well. If I knew where they resided,I'd drop in and say hi! I am a member of the veteransunnatocanada.blogspot.com.There are a few of us that are as well and is growing. It was recently started up a short while agne doesn't have to be a biker to be part of it.I can say this for our members.We are here to support you and your family in anyway possible!
Take care and speedy recovery to ya Trevor! You are a very strong individual!!!

Randy Boutilier & Family



veteransunnatocanada.blogspot.com


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## daftandbarmy

Trevor's still on duty, carrying the Paralympic torch for the troops in Victoria tomorrow:

Paralympic Torch Relay - Capt. Trevor Greene


http://news.globaltv.com/entertainment/story.html?id=2632926

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-buS27zbBQ


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## Petard

Remarkable courage, both his, and his fiance's, there's is certainly an inspirational story of how the human spirit can endure and thrive.

Glad to see the news report mention the connection to the reason the parlymics began, as a means to promote injured veterans rehabilitation through physical activity.
Best wishes to them, and all the paralympic athletes


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## The Bread Guy

Congrats - this, from the Global News:


> Exchanging vows at the altar with her longtime fiancé was once too much for Debbie Greene to even wish for.
> 
> Four years ago, Trevor Greene, who grew up in Orléans, was unable to move and was fighting for his life in hospital.
> 
> He suffered massive brain damage in March 2006 after being struck in the head with an axe while serving with the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan.
> 
> Doctors said he would spend his life confined to a bed.
> 
> They were wrong.
> 
> Trevor was even able to stand up, supported by a set of parallel bars, for most of their ceremony on July 24. They were wed on her sister's Nanaimo property in front of about 120 friends and relatives.
> 
> His recovery from brain injury has inspired an award-winning documentary and attracted hundreds of letters from people who have been touched by his story of courage and perseverance.
> 
> But it's really a love story.
> 
> "I'd never thought we would get to where we are today," said Debbie, smiling at her husband in the living room of their home in Nanaimo.
> 
> Debbie dedicated herself to Trevor's rehabilitation once he returned to Canada.
> 
> After making it through an agonizing first year of recovery at a Vancouver hospital, he focused on regaining abilities most medical professionals said he would never get back: using a keyboard, standing and, hopefully one day, walking.
> 
> Now, the newlyweds are writing a book about the past 41/2 years to inspire others who are facing challenges in their lives that seem insurmountable.
> 
> "If I can do it, anyone can," said Trevor, his voice soft, but clear. "I love being a role model."
> 
> Trevor wouldn't have been able to stand for his wedding a year ago.
> 
> He even managed to stay on his feet for their first dance; the song was You Sexy Thing by Hot Chocolate ....


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## vonGarvin

That is the best news I've heard in quite some time.  Congrats to the newlyweds!


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## xo31@711ret

Inspiring!


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## R933ex

It is truly a story of inspiration.  Many may have given up but together they they have accomplished so much


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## old medic

Trevor Greene, Special to W5
Capt. Trevor Greene, in his own words
By Trevor Greene 
Date: Sat. Dec. 4 2010 6:59 PM ET
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/WFive/20101201/w5-trevor-greene-soldier-amazing-recovery-102101/

Canadian soldier Trevor Greene recounts his remarkable journey of recovery since that fateful day in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, in 2006 -- when he was the victim of an axe attack during a meeting with village elders. Greene describes his journey below.



> On March 4, 2006, I was attending a meeting with village elders in the remote village of Shinkay, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan.
> 
> As usual, I had removed my helmet as a sign of respect. A centuries-old tribal custom, pashtunwali, dictated that as a guest of the village, I would be protected.
> 
> As I began to speak to the elders about their basic needs, a young Taliban insurgent crept up behind me and swung an axe deep into my skull. The attack was the signal for an ambush.
> 
> Through the hail of bullets, medic Shaun Marshall reached my side and was astounded to find me still breathing. After fighting off the attack, my platoon gathered around me and implored me to hang on to life.
> 
> Fate kept me alive and the love of my then-fiancé Debbie and daughter Grace kept me going. Eight hospitals later, fate and my two favourite girls are still by my side on my long road to recovery.
> 
> Conventional medical wisdom holds that little recovery is possible two years after a severe traumatic brain injury. It's been four-and-a-half years since the axe fell and my resolve to walk is unshakeable. That resolve has been bolstered by an outpouring of heartfelt support by Canadians from all walks of life.
> 
> In July 2010, surrounded by close friends and family, I stood by my wife's side at our dream wedding. This was possible because in late 2008, after the original "Peace Warrior" documentary aired, I was contacted by a renowned orthopedic surgeon.
> 
> Despite a previous prognosis that I would never walk again because of my badly contracted feet, Dr. Norgrove Penny operated on them and has made it possible for me to stand and work towards my goal of walking. Without that surgery, my dream to walk again would have been stillborn.
> 
> Coincidentally, Dr. Ryan D'Arcy, a neuroscientist, also saw the documentary and made contact. In May 2010, I became the subject of a study to track the reorganization of my brain, after the axe severed all my motor functions. The results from three functional MRI's to date show that different parts of my brain are taking over functions for the grey matter lost in the Afghanistan desert.
> 
> Debbie and I are working on a book about our epic journey, which is due for publication by HarperCollins in early 2012.


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## PuckChaser

What a powerful program. If everyone in the world had half the courage and determination this man has, we'd live in a better place. Truly inspiring.


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## wildman0101

Probably a dumb question
Is this the same Dr D'arcy that 
was on David Suzuki regards 
how the brain work's and how 
it restructure's new pathway's 
after truamatic brain injurie's?
I only caught some of David's 
show but i was facinated.
Thank's
Scoty B


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## GAP

Attacked by an axe-wielding insurgent in Afghanistan, Trevor Greene’s recovery has been slow and painful
Brian Hutchinson  Mar 2, 2012 
Article Link

in Nanaimo, B.C.

There were times when Trevor Greene didn’t want to soldier on. One of those moments came without warning, two years after the incident in Kandahar, when he’d been attacked by an axe-wielding teenager. His brain was left damaged. His arms and legs no longer worked. His recovery was slow and painful. The setbacks and disappointments were taking their toll, on his body, on his mind.

Rats had infested his body, he told himself. They were devouring his stomach, gnawing at his heart.

“I’ve gone completely insane,” he raged, directing all of his frustration and anger at the person closest to him, the woman who believed in him, the mother of their child.
Related

    End of Afghan mission leaves vets grappling with their return to Canada

“You’re not going insane,” Debbie said. “This is part of the recovery.”

“This is permanent,” Trevor insisted.

He was verbally abusive. He was short with their three-year-old daughter, Grace. He wasn’t the caring, self-assured army reservist who had gone off to war. This was someone else.

“I’m going straight to hell,” he said.

“You are not going straight to hell.”

“I am, too … Don’t come near me. I want to go back to Afghanistan so he can finish his job with the axe.”

“You can demand all you want,” Debbie said, “but you’re staying right here.”

Four years later, Trevor and Debbie Greene open the front door to their home. I’m struck by her natural beauty, his steady, intelligent eyes. We shake hands and settle into the living room.

Captain Greene (retired), speaks with some effort. But the fact we are having a conversation is remarkable. He has survived a severe injury, one that a doctor once insisted would leave him in a permanent, vegetative state. He uses a wheelchair and has limited movement. A veteran journalist who once typed with gusto, he now pecks at his keyboard with a single digit. But the man is determined, and proud. He vows to walk again, without assistance, and he’s making progress. He stood during his marriage to Ms. Greene last summer. “I feel great,” he says. It shows.
More on link


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