While serving in Iraq in 2004, the truck Dan Nevins rode in was hit with an I.E.D., ejecting him from the vehicle. The explosion was so destructive that it severed both of Nevins’s legs below the knee, cut his femoral artery, and killed a fellow soldier. Lying on the ground, Nevins felt like he was losing all the blood in his body and was certain that he was going to die. Fortunately, doctors saved his life, but Nevins was unprepared for what would come next now that his body (and subsequently, his life) was altered radically.
During his recovery at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, in Bethesda, Maryland, Nevins underwent several surgeries each week for much of his 18-month-long stay. While there, representatives from The Wounded Warrior Project visited him, bringing a backpack full of items to show they cared, and letting him know about the dozens of programs the non-profit offers for people like Nevins.
Sponsoring more than a dozen programs,The Wounded Warrior Project centers their work around helping injured soldiers achieve economic empowerment, engagement, and healthy minds and bodies. They run adaptive sports for veterans, education and training for new jobs, restorative retreats, and more.
Nevins told Barbara Harrington of News Center 16 that the assistance provided by the Wounded Warrior Project has been indispensable to him. While recovering, “They were always there, making me take opportunities to prove that I could be the person I was before, if not better.”
Nevins, who now works for the Wounded Warrior Project raising awareness about their mission, recently visited the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. His visit inspired some MBA students to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project. Regarding the organization, Nevins said, “The greatest casualty is being forgotten. A lot of people that don’t raise their hand and say, that I’m dealing with this,’ feel forgotten. And that’s a travesty. We’re here to say, don’t be that person.” 
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