thedrifter
12-22-07, 07:28 AM
Wounded Navy medic could be home for holidays
Christopher Braley is his family's Christmas miracle after seven surgeries
By Paul Burgarino, STAFF WRITER
Article Last Updated: 12/22/2007 02:40:30 AM PST
MANTECA — The fact that Christopher Braley continues to recover after being severely wounded in Iraq has given his family great joy.
That joy is compounded by the possibility that the 23-year old Manteca native may be able to return home in time for the holidays.
"In our family, we're calling him our Christmas, our Christmas miracle," said Jane Braley, Christopher's grandmother. "We're very anxious to get him back to Manteca, it's a joyous time, words can't really describe how excited we are."
Braley, 23, a Navy medic with a Marine battalion in Iraq continues to recover at a naval military hospital in Bethesda, Md. following an ambush attack on Sept. 16.
A piece of shrapnel from an improvised explosive device struck the right side of his face, taking out his eye and lodging in his brain, his grandfather Larry Braley said.
Earlier in the week, Braley shook hands with President George W. Bush while his mother Debbie, who has been in Maryland for the past three months, sat at his side.
"The President was there about 10 minutes. I think it left Christopher kind of speechless," Jane Braley said.
Braley said that her grandson "is doing very, very well" considering he's had seven surgeries including the last procedure on Dec. 12.
"He's able to be up and move around, though you can tell his head has been opened a lot," Jane Braley said. "Right now the biggest battle is fighting infection," adding every eight hours Christopher takes a strong dose of antibiotics.
Christopher also lost anywhere from 40 to 50 pounds over the past three months. However, his grandfather says that Christopher is eating well now and starting to pack on more pounds.
"He's also coming out of the deep depression he had when things seemed kind of hopeless because of his condition," Jane Braley said. "He's coming out of that, so we're excited for him."
Braley's grandparents, who raised the boy while he attended school in Manteca, are informed about his condition everyday via text message or phone call.
Christopher, nicknamed "Doc" by the Marines he was stationed with, was an outgoing graduate of Sierra High School who starred on the school basketball team and was somewhat of a class clown.
His aunt, Louise Mendosa, also said he was "popular with all the girls and a handsome young man," and that his spirits were down when he looked in the mirror and saw crushed cheek bones, a broken nose and a fractured skull.
Family members also say that though his speech is a tad bit slower than they remember, he still has his outgoing personality.
"His mind is still there, despite all the injuries. That's the best thing: that Christopher is still Christopher," Mendosa said.
Braley's family in Manteca is not 100 percent sure he will be home for Christmas, but are hopeful that some strings can be pulled that would allow Braley to be flown by a special Medical Evacuation helicopter to Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield and transported by ambulance to Palo Alto.
"It would be a great thing to have him transferred before Christmas Eve, but there would have to get a special flight, and there are a lot of other people waiting to go home as well," Jane Braley said. "We're very hopeful and excited it will happen though."
Christopher would be guarded from receiving lots of visitors at the outset because of his stringent and exhausting rehabilitation program, family members said.
"He could only be able to handle so much, yet Chris would feel obligated to see everyone. I fear he would be overwhelmed," Jane Braley said.
"It's going to be a slow process, but we're grateful for those thinking and praying for Christopher," she said.
Ellie
Christopher Braley is his family's Christmas miracle after seven surgeries
By Paul Burgarino, STAFF WRITER
Article Last Updated: 12/22/2007 02:40:30 AM PST
MANTECA — The fact that Christopher Braley continues to recover after being severely wounded in Iraq has given his family great joy.
That joy is compounded by the possibility that the 23-year old Manteca native may be able to return home in time for the holidays.
"In our family, we're calling him our Christmas, our Christmas miracle," said Jane Braley, Christopher's grandmother. "We're very anxious to get him back to Manteca, it's a joyous time, words can't really describe how excited we are."
Braley, 23, a Navy medic with a Marine battalion in Iraq continues to recover at a naval military hospital in Bethesda, Md. following an ambush attack on Sept. 16.
A piece of shrapnel from an improvised explosive device struck the right side of his face, taking out his eye and lodging in his brain, his grandfather Larry Braley said.
Earlier in the week, Braley shook hands with President George W. Bush while his mother Debbie, who has been in Maryland for the past three months, sat at his side.
"The President was there about 10 minutes. I think it left Christopher kind of speechless," Jane Braley said.
Braley said that her grandson "is doing very, very well" considering he's had seven surgeries including the last procedure on Dec. 12.
"He's able to be up and move around, though you can tell his head has been opened a lot," Jane Braley said. "Right now the biggest battle is fighting infection," adding every eight hours Christopher takes a strong dose of antibiotics.
Christopher also lost anywhere from 40 to 50 pounds over the past three months. However, his grandfather says that Christopher is eating well now and starting to pack on more pounds.
"He's also coming out of the deep depression he had when things seemed kind of hopeless because of his condition," Jane Braley said. "He's coming out of that, so we're excited for him."
Braley's grandparents, who raised the boy while he attended school in Manteca, are informed about his condition everyday via text message or phone call.
Christopher, nicknamed "Doc" by the Marines he was stationed with, was an outgoing graduate of Sierra High School who starred on the school basketball team and was somewhat of a class clown.
His aunt, Louise Mendosa, also said he was "popular with all the girls and a handsome young man," and that his spirits were down when he looked in the mirror and saw crushed cheek bones, a broken nose and a fractured skull.
Family members also say that though his speech is a tad bit slower than they remember, he still has his outgoing personality.
"His mind is still there, despite all the injuries. That's the best thing: that Christopher is still Christopher," Mendosa said.
Braley's family in Manteca is not 100 percent sure he will be home for Christmas, but are hopeful that some strings can be pulled that would allow Braley to be flown by a special Medical Evacuation helicopter to Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield and transported by ambulance to Palo Alto.
"It would be a great thing to have him transferred before Christmas Eve, but there would have to get a special flight, and there are a lot of other people waiting to go home as well," Jane Braley said. "We're very hopeful and excited it will happen though."
Christopher would be guarded from receiving lots of visitors at the outset because of his stringent and exhausting rehabilitation program, family members said.
"He could only be able to handle so much, yet Chris would feel obligated to see everyone. I fear he would be overwhelmed," Jane Braley said.
"It's going to be a slow process, but we're grateful for those thinking and praying for Christopher," she said.
Ellie