Brendan Marrocco

To me, a hero is someone who does what they know is right even though everyone else disagrees. They sacrifice personal comfort, are courageous, and would risk their life for others. Heroes are around us all the time, even though we don't notice them. They don't have to be a celebrity, athlete, or someone popular, they can be an everyday person like your parents, teachers, or anyone who takes the time to listen to you or encourage you. That's why my hero is Brendan Marrocco.

Brendan Marrocco is twenty six years old and from Staten Island, New York. Five years ago, he entered the United States Army. He's the first US solider serving in Iraq to survive a quadruple amputation and the seventh person in the United States to receive a bilateral arm transplant.

On Easter Sunday, in 2009 Marrocco was driving a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle when a bomb exploded on the side road right by him. The blast tore off his legs and arms, his carotid artery was severed, his body was badly burnt, and the vision in his left eye was terribly damaged. He was quickly airlifted to different hospitals and had hours worth of surgery performed on him.

I look up to Marrocco and all the other people who serve their country. It takes a lot of courage and strength to do what they do on a daily basis. Risking their lives for people they don't even know just so they could have a better life. I don't know if I would ever be able to do anything like that. I don't think most of these people get enough recognition they deserve, especially Marrocco.

He truly is an inspiration to me and many others. He made it obvious he wasn't going to give up. He wants to live as close to a normal life as possible, even with everything that's happened to him. This situation makes me realize how many things I take for granted and how lucky I actually am. There are going to be days when you just feel like giving up, but he shows you that anything can be possible if you just try. That's why he's my hero.