thedrifter
09-07-08, 07:10 AM
Orland Park Marine on the mend, needs help
September 7, 2008
BY JIM HOOK Staff Writer
U.S. Marine Cpl. Sean Kaspar wants to rejoin his fellow Marines as they complete their second tour of duty in Afghanistan.
But he can't.
Kaspar, 21, is hospitalized at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, where he has undergone 15 operations.
The Orland Park resident was seriously injured June 17 when a rocket-propelled grenade struck the convoy in which he and his fellow Marines were traveling.
As he continues to heal, his friends and family are hosting a benefit in his honor.
Coming Together for Corporal Kaspar will start at 1 p.m. Oct. 4, at Kerry Piper, 7900 Joliet Road, Willowbrook. The benefit will end at 4 p.m. Organizers are looking for raffle prizes and cash donations for the event. Pre-sale tickets are $30 for adults and include an open bar, food and a cash raffle. Tickets for children 2 to 12 are $10.
Cash donations can be made to the Coming Together for Corporal Kaspar Foundation at Founders Bank, 6825 W. 111th St., Worth, IL, 60482. For more information contact Eric Kaspar at (708) 372-7463 or Michael Kaspar at (708) 878-3195.
Kaspar's mom, Lynn, said her son has a "long road ahead."
"He's had a number of surgeries, and he may need another one," Lynn said. "He took some shrapnel to one of his eyes, and it's a 50/50 chance he'll be able to see.
"But his spirits are good, and he has a strong support base," she said. "His wife (Krista) is wonderful, and they have a baby due in November. He has a lot to look forward to. And he's a fighter."
Sean Kaspar suffered numerous injuries from the rocket-propelled grenade explosion, including shrapnel to his hips and ankle. He's lost feeling in his right leg. His ankle injury will require a skin graft from his thigh to close the wound, and an injury to his right forearm continues to become infected.
Kaspar's wounds will require many months of therapy and rehabilitation.
Lynn Kaspar said she and the rest of the family are "extremely proud of the role Sean plays in our lives as a brother and a son."
"He is our hero, and he has sacrificed so much for his country," she said.
Jim Hook can be reached at jhook@southtownstar.com or (708) 633-5961.
Ellie
September 7, 2008
BY JIM HOOK Staff Writer
U.S. Marine Cpl. Sean Kaspar wants to rejoin his fellow Marines as they complete their second tour of duty in Afghanistan.
But he can't.
Kaspar, 21, is hospitalized at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, where he has undergone 15 operations.
The Orland Park resident was seriously injured June 17 when a rocket-propelled grenade struck the convoy in which he and his fellow Marines were traveling.
As he continues to heal, his friends and family are hosting a benefit in his honor.
Coming Together for Corporal Kaspar will start at 1 p.m. Oct. 4, at Kerry Piper, 7900 Joliet Road, Willowbrook. The benefit will end at 4 p.m. Organizers are looking for raffle prizes and cash donations for the event. Pre-sale tickets are $30 for adults and include an open bar, food and a cash raffle. Tickets for children 2 to 12 are $10.
Cash donations can be made to the Coming Together for Corporal Kaspar Foundation at Founders Bank, 6825 W. 111th St., Worth, IL, 60482. For more information contact Eric Kaspar at (708) 372-7463 or Michael Kaspar at (708) 878-3195.
Kaspar's mom, Lynn, said her son has a "long road ahead."
"He's had a number of surgeries, and he may need another one," Lynn said. "He took some shrapnel to one of his eyes, and it's a 50/50 chance he'll be able to see.
"But his spirits are good, and he has a strong support base," she said. "His wife (Krista) is wonderful, and they have a baby due in November. He has a lot to look forward to. And he's a fighter."
Sean Kaspar suffered numerous injuries from the rocket-propelled grenade explosion, including shrapnel to his hips and ankle. He's lost feeling in his right leg. His ankle injury will require a skin graft from his thigh to close the wound, and an injury to his right forearm continues to become infected.
Kaspar's wounds will require many months of therapy and rehabilitation.
Lynn Kaspar said she and the rest of the family are "extremely proud of the role Sean plays in our lives as a brother and a son."
"He is our hero, and he has sacrificed so much for his country," she said.
Jim Hook can be reached at jhook@southtownstar.com or (708) 633-5961.
Ellie