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John Thomas Doody
was born March 7,
1983 in Denver,
Colorado. He was my
first and last
child. I used to
tease him when he
was little saying,
“You hear parents
say if ‘so and so’
would have been my
first child they
would have been my
last”. I was
kidding of course.
I love JT with all
my heart. He’s been
my best friend since
the day he was born.
His father and I
couldn’t get along
and divorced when JT
was three. I
remarried but JT
remained an only
child being raised
by a single mom, as
my husband did
little more than
bring home a
paycheck. I
divorced again when
JT was in his teens,
determined not to
make that mistake
again.
JT was enrolled at
one of the worst
high schools in
Colorado. I let him
drop out by making a
deal with him. He
passes the GED and
starts taking
college classes. He
passed with flying
colors and started
taking college
classes.
After 9/11 and a few
years of restaurant
jobs and college
classes, JT decided
to become a Marine.
No one in our family
was a Marine or
‘very military’ and
so the entire
experience was new
to us.
By this time, I had
started dating
Bryan. JT went off
to boot camp and
Bryan and I moved to
Idaho Falls, ID. I
wrote to JT every
day while he was in
boot camp. I had a
calendar of all the
training and had
studied the crucible
so I was writing to
JT and telling him
what to expect. JT
graduated boot camp
on December 15,
2005. I was never
more proud of him.
Bryan, my dad, mom
and step-dad and
both of my sisters
all traveled to San
Diego to see JT
graduate. It was an
experience none of
us ever forgot.
After boot camp, JT
went back to
Colorado for his 30
day leave. He
stayed with my dad
in our condo. On
January 16, 2006,
the day JT had to
leave for SOI, my
dad was diagnosed
with an inoperable
brain tumor. I went
to Colorado and
helped care for my
dad during his last
days. He died on
February 24, 2006.
Needless to say, my
heart was broken. I
loved my dad dearly
and he and JT were
both away from me.
I grieved terribly.
JT deployed to Iraq
on January 29,
2007. He was on the
battlefield and I
was a nervous
wreck. JT got to
call me on his
birthday (March 7,
2007) and said,
“Guess what? I got
my combat action
ribbon”! I was
stunned. People
were actually
shooting at my
baby. JT tried to
console me by
saying, “Don’t worry
mom. The insurgents
just shoot over our
heads and then run
away”.
Two days later as I
was getting ready to
board a plane in
Orange County, Calif,
I got the call that
would forever alter
our lives. The
stranger on the
other end of the
phone said that my
son had been shot
multiple times in
the leg but was in
surgery and was in
stable condition. I
had to board the
plane not knowing if
my son would
survive. By the
time the plane
landed for a brief
layover in Salt Lake
City, I received the
news that JT was out
of surgery and
stable.
Shortly thereafter,
I traveled to San
Diego and was there
at the Fisher House
waiting for my son
to arrive. When he
got there it nearly
broke my heart. He
was in an ambulance
on a gurney, was in
great pain and white
as a sheet.
Although his wounds
were bad, I knew
that he would be
ok. Boy was I
wrong. By all
appearances, JT
seemed to be
recovering. He had
to change his life
plan of being a
police officer
because the last
bullet had taken out
his perennial nerve
and he would never
be able to run fast
enough. So he
enrolled in pre-law
and started
interning with a San
Diego medical
malpractice lawyer
who became a good
friend and mentor.
Once again, Bryan
and I had postponed
our wedding until JT
would be able to
walk me down the
aisle as I had lost
my dad.
Ten months after he
was shot, I got the
second phone call
that every parent
dreads. This time,
the stranger on the
other end of the
line said that my
son was ‘found
unresponsive in his
room and was
admitted to the
emergency
department’. I
couldn’t understand
what I was hearing.
What happened? I
was due to be in
California in a few
days anyway and had
planned on spending
the weekend with
JT. The man on the
other end of the
line urged me to get
to California as
quickly as
possible. I was in
shock. I looked
into Bryan's eyes
and could see how
serious this was.
I left on the first
flight out the next
morning. I had a
layover in Denver
and so both of my
sisters met me at
the airport. I was
still in denial but
they knew something
was dreadfully
wrong. My sister
Patty decided to go
to San Diego with me
and so bought a
ticket and boarded
the plane with
nothing more than
her wallet-purse.
We were met at the
airport by the
Colonel of the MCRD
and the Chaplain.
Patty almost fainted
but I held tough and
tried to get to the
bottom of what was
happening. When we
got to the hospital
we were met by a
team of about 14 or
15 medical
personnel. The news
couldn’t be any
worse. JT had
suffered a stroke
and then lack of
oxygen (anoxic brain
injury). He was on
life support, barely
clinging to life.
The doctors there
kept doing CT scans
and MRI’s, telling
Patty and I that
there was no hope.
JT would either die
or be severely brain
damaged but was
never expected to
‘wake up’.
People ask me how I
made it through
those first few
months. My response
is always the same…I
didn’t. God carried
me through as He
continues to carry
us through each and
every day. Bryan
and I were married
around JT's hospital
bed on February 4,
2008 as he was the
one guest at my
wedding that I would
not do without -
walking, awake or
not. He was in a
vegetative state but
at least he was
there. From January
until mid February
while in San Diego,
many family and
friends rotated
through and were
with JT and I
providing all the
love and support one
could possibly
have. To this day,
I cherish each and
every new
relationship JT has
brought into our
lives.
JT’s rehab doctor in
San Diego said that
if JT were his son,
he would get him to
Tampa with Dr.
Scott. On February
21, 2008, JT, my
sister Sheryl and I
were flown across
the country in an
ambulance jet. JT
was breathing on his
own but still barely
clinging to life.
He remained in a
vegetative state
from January to the
end of April.
During that time, I
knew that JT was
still ‘in there’ and
was determined to
get him back.
I’ll never forget
the day he said his
second ‘first
words’. I had been
torturing him with
his favorite
comedies, ‘South
Park’ and ‘Family
Guy’. My mom had
just left town but
we knew he was on
the brink of doing
something. JT was
so agitated and
restless but had no
way of moving his
body to communicate
with us. I was sure
that he could hear
and understand but
knew that he
couldn’t move his
body. I also didn’t
know that he
couldn’t see. I had
brought him back to
his hospital room
and was asking him,
“Do you want to
watch Family Guy or
South Park? South
Park?"
JT said, “No”. I
cried out in
excitement and
grabbed my camera
and filmed the next
few words. I said,
“Say mom”. JT said,
“Mom”. By this
time, I was crying
and had been joined
by all the nurses
and other family
members up on 5
North (James Haley
VA in Tampa –
Polytrauma unit).
It was the happiest
day of my life. My
son could talk to me
again.
We're now over a
year out from the
brain injury. My
husband and I
relocated from Idaho
Falls to Tampa to
take care of JT. I
was adamant that JT
be out of the
hospital as soon as
possible. A
hospital born
infection is what
almost killed him (endocarditis)
and I was not going
to lose him again.
We brought him to
his new home on
December 6, 2008.
Bryan has been
unable to find
employment in his
field (Radialogical
Engineer) here in
Tampa and so will
have to go back to
Idaho Falls and work
at his old job.
He's also still got
some work to do on
the house to get it
sold. Hopefully,
he'll only be there
for a short while.
Right now, JT still
has very little
control of his body
and his sight is
sporadic. He claims
to ‘see all the
time’ but when you
ask him what he
sees, he can’t
explain it. The
medical personnel
call it ‘cortical
blindness’ but I
know in my heart
that JT will someday
see, walk and be
somewhat
independent.
My job is to help
him by using
whatever means I
can. I will not
give up. JT needs
whatever medical
treatment we can get
him to bring him all
the way back.
Whether it’s stem
cell transplant in
another country to
specialized
equipment to help
him rebuild his
mind. This is why
this site is here.
JT sacrificed his
life for his country
(you) and we owe it
to him to try to get
him better. He is
an inspiration to
all he meets. Asked
if he would have
still joined the
Marines if he would
have known this was
going to happen to
him, JT always says,
“Yes”. He would
‘die again’ for his
country.
Please help me, help
JT. We've set up a
PayPal donation link
to help us with
expenses. You
can donate by
clicking the button
below:
JT is fighting the
battle of his life.
He doesn’t want to
give up and remain
sightless and
paralyzed. He also
believes he will get
better and I know
God must have a very
special plan in mind
for us.
Thank you and bless
you,
Chris Ott
-Mother of LCpl.
John "JT" Doody" |
