Army vet amputee gets help with house
When Brandon Korona regained consciousness after his truck struck a 200pound improvised explosive device in Afghanistan, he saw the lower part of his left leg had twisted backward.
The 28-year-old Dracut resident enlisted in the Army in 2010 and was serving as combat engineer with the 10th Mountain Division Special Troops Battalion when the accident happened in June 2013.
“It messed me up pretty bad, my leg was like backwards and I was knocked unconscious,” said Korona, who medically retired and returned home in 2015 after spending extensive time abroad trying to stabilize his condition.
When Korona came home, managing the pain in his severely injured leg proved to be a difficult challenge.
“It was really tough, it was kind of just trying to accept what had happened and then fighting with the injuries,” said Korona.
In 2017, Korona and his wife, Chelsea, agreed that amputation would be the best possible option.
“I was basically just a shell at that point,” said Korona. “The amputation was the best decision I ever made.”
His leg was amputated at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and learned to walk using a prosthetic leg.
A prosthetic hasn’t slowed Korona down — he’s run five road races since the amputation and plans to run the Boston Marathon next year.
“I haven’t had any real limitations with the prosthetic at all, I’ve been able to do everything I’ve wanted to do and more,” said Korona.
On Wednesday night, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and the Patriots Foundation presented a $50,000 donation to the nonprofit, Home For Our Troops, which will fund a new, fully accessible home for Korona and his wife in the Merrimack Valley.
He will be able to use a wheelchair in the new house, meaning he won’t have to wear his prosthetic all the time, as he does now.
“It has a lot of features and conveniences that go into it to just kind of make my life and my wife’s life easier,” said Korona.
Michael Carson, president and CEO of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and an Air Force veteran, said, “Brandon is a remarkable young man. I know exactly what it means for Brandon and his family to serve our country and we are honored to play a small role in making a positive difference in their lives and wish them great peace and happiness in their new home.”
Once the new home is built, the couple plans to start a family. Korona will also finish his master’s degree in operation and project management and he and his wife are planning to grow their own small business.
Korona said he will enjoy Independence Day with his family and “reflect on how much this country has done for me and where we came from.”