I Love Life: Disabled Veteran is Unstoppable

If you’re feeling down and don’t think life is worth living, read on!  Veteran Saul Bosquez is a member of the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team. Saul lost one of his legs while on duty in Iraq!

“August 7, 2007 I was riding in a Humvee and heading back from a mission in downtown Baghdad. While driving down the road, an explosive device was placed in a curve on the road. I didn’t see it. The explosion shattered my left leg in 13 different places. Once I got to the states, the doctors couldn’t save most of it. I told the doctors to amputate it. I spent most of August in a hospital bed. Once I got my leg I was walking and running when September came around.”

So, what did it take for Saul to move forward in life following the amputation?

“Just the motivation to not be stuck in a wheel chair or stuck with crutches. I wanted to be in my leg as much as possible. Once I saw guys rehabbing---I knew everything was going to be all right. I played college baseball and had an athletic background. I wanted to be the best amputee that was in the hospital. That was my goal! The staff actually had to take my leg away at times because I tried to be in it so much. I went Monday to Friday from 8:00 A.M. until 12:00 P.M. everyday for a year and a half.”

Saul had purpose in life!

“Exactly! I didn’t know what I was going to do. But, at the time my job was to rehab. All I wanted to do was to work out and get better. Some of the things I did before I do better now. Sometimes I wonder how good I would be if I had both of my legs. But, that’s not the case. I work with what I got.”

Saul says the bottom line is this: we are and will become what we think about.

“Every guy on the team has a positive attitude. For every team member with a positive attitude there are two or three other guys who chose the opposite and let it consume them. They want to feel sorry for themselves. Obviously that happens in the beginning. You are going to go through that at first. But the guys on the team are the men who don’t focus on what they once had. Sadly a lot of guys don’t do that.”

Although he faces challenges everyday, Saul really does love life!

“People ask me all the time if I would change what happened to me. I tell them no. I have a different purpose and meaning in life. I returned to school and got my undergrad and masters degrees in three and a half years. I was an honor student! Yes, the struggles were many. But, the results were awesome.”

If you’re still reading this article, Saul offers this hard earned advice for people that are giving up life.

“When I was at Walter Reed it taught you that there is always someone worse off than you. I was missing a leg. But there are guys missing two legs and some that were missing all four limbs. There is always someone worse off than you. I tell people you can always feel sorry for a little bit. But, you’ve got to move forward. It’s easier said than done. That’s all it takes. Just focus on something you want to work towards and go ahead and do it.”

And that’s just what Saul Bosquez is doing every minute of every day!

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