SAN ANTONIO – Ivan Perez is a local veteran who found his life turned upside down while serving as a Marine in Iraq.
In 2007, Perez was shot by a sniper twice. One bullet went into his hand, the other went into his back and came out of his right hip.
Perez was immediately flown back to the U.S. in a coma. When he woke up, he was told he was paralyzed in both legs.
“I got stuck in the ‘What now?’ moment for a long time. It’s very draining. It’s something that makes you feel hopeless at times,” Perez said.
Not knowing what to do, the national nonprofit Semper Fi & America’s Fund stepped in to help Perez, and to this day, they are still helping him.
What is Semper Fi & America’s Fund:
The Fund is dedicated to giving financial assistance and lifetime support to critically injured veterans while serving our country.
It was founded in 2003 by a military spouse who was looking for a way to help support those injured while serving.
For Perez, The Fund was there when he woke up from his coma. Over the years, The Fund continues to serve Perez in many ways.
“Ever since then, they’ve always checked in on me and make sure that I’m doing OK,” Perez said.
He has gone through therapy and doctor appointments, and now, he has full function of his left leg and partial movement in his right.
The Fund helped make his home wheelchair accessible; they introduced him to handcycling and turned the dumped dog he found into his service dog.
Handcycling:
Perez was introduced to handcycling in 2017. He told his case workers with Semper Fi & America’s Fund that he wanted something to do that would help keep him active.
After learning about handcycling, Perez found a new passion and escape.
“The handcycle was just a very spiritual thing with me. It’s weird to explain, but it’s the one time I can just stop thinking,” said Perez.
Handcycling was founded in the 1980s as an alternate way for people to travel in a human-powered vehicle. It was by accident that a new world of cycling was forming for people with disabilities.
The cycle allows a person to sit down on it and use their arms instead of their legs to move the bike.
Perez found freedom while riding his handcycle. Perez has competed nationally and internationally for handcycling. He hopes he can go to the Paralympics one day for the sport.
On top of a relaxing release for Perez, handcycling is also how he found his new best friend, Freedom.
Freedom:
Freedom is a two to three-year-old German Shepherd. One day, when Perez was handcycling, he came across what looked like a dumped puppy.
Perez gave the pup some water and pets, then returned home.
“(I) just kind of let him warm up to me, and after that, he just followed me home all the way, probably like five-something miles,” Perez said.
Freedom’s dedication to follow Perez home turned into inspiration for Perez, and he took the dog in.
One year later, Freedom is now Perez’s service dog. His name has a special meaning to Perez.
“The way that I found him, it was on the bike, and the biggest thing that comes to me when I’m on my bike is the freedom that I get when I go and ride for hours,” said Perez.
Thanks to The Fund, Perez officially registered Freedom as his service dog, and now goes with Perez everywhere.
Between handcycling and Freedom, Perez has learned that his injury doesn’t describe him.
“Life continues after injury, right? That’s where the fun kind of helps out a lot,” Perez said.
You can learn more about Semper Fi & America’s Fund and how to help by clicking here.