Soul to Honor Paralyzed Military Veteran
May 19, 2016 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Philadelphia Soul News Release
Army Sergeant Dan Rose
(Philadelphia Soul)
PHILADELPHIA - Army Sergeant Dan Rose can walk, which is something he thought would never happen again after a fateful battlefield reality violently changed Dan's life on April 27, 2011. On that date, Rose was serving in Afghanistan and his platoon was performing "route clearance". It was during one of these daily missions that his truck was hit with 1,000 pounds of explosives. The heavily armored Humvee; blown apart into two pieces, unbelievably left all the occupants alive, however Rose was left paralyzed from the chest down.
"We had a 100% success rating finding IED's... (improvised explosive devices) till that day".- Dan Rose
While we have heard countless stories of Veterans who have returned from the battlefield with life-altering injuries and struggle to regain that sense of self they had prior to their departure, Rose refused to let his injury define him. Prior to his injury he led an active lifestyle which was the foundation for his commitment to overcome horrible reality, he was quickly involved in a variety of adaptive sports. From downhill skiing to wheelchair racing, no sport meant to define character, has been beyond his reach. Rose has found a way to do what he loves, in spite of his physical limitations. Yet even with all of that positive energy in his life, there was always an unshakable feeling of immense loss; that feeling most profoundly expressed after first standing again.
"I had given up on walking and thought of it as a pipe dream, so to be able to stand on my own two feet and walk across a room was a very emotional experience," Rose said.
Rose gained the ability to walk again thanks to an "Ekso Bionics" suit, a motorized exoskeleton that provides paralysis victims the strength, endurance and mobility needed to walk. The suit was donated to him by SoldierStrong, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping American military veterans overcome major injuries sustained while defending our great nation. By utilizing state-of-the-art bionic exoskeleton suits and the latest in robotic prosthetics, they are able to provide spinal cord injured and limb-injured veterans with the tools that have revolutionized the physical life enhancement and rehabilitation process once only imagined. Along with their SoldierScholar educational scholarship program, SoldierStrong is able to give our nation's heroes the ability to successfully move onto productive quality lives. It's thanks to this incredible organization that heroes like Rose are able to take their next steps forward!
"Wearing the device, standing eye to eye with people is like standing on top of a mountain. I want to thank the Philadelphia Soul for their support ensuring my fellow veterans have that same experience." - Dan Rose
The Philadelphia Soul are supporting the nation's heroes with a Military Appreciation Night, presented by Sabre Systems, for their home game against the Orlando Predators this Saturday, May 21. The game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. and during the game there will be on field presentation to honor Rose and SoldierStrong. Fans will have the opportunity to meet Rose both during and after the game.
All Media are invited to meet Rose and watch the Soul's final practice before this weekend's game against the undefeated Predators. Practice will be held on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Burlington County, NJ in front of a crowd of active duty military personnel. Any media that would like to attend should contact the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs Office directly at (609) 754-2104 or 87.abw.pa@us.af.mil.
For Media who are unable to attend practice in the morning, Rose will also be available for interview from 2-4pm at the Wells Fargo Center. To attend, please contact Soul Public Relations at (215) 253-4900 X 144 or kvaniderstine@philadelphiasoul.com.
Images from this story
 Army Sergeant Dan Rose |
• Discuss this story on the Arena Football League message board...
Arena Football League Stories from May 19, 2016
- AFL's Inside the Numbers: Week 8 - AFL
- LA Kiss Announces New Official Partnership - Los Angeles KISS
- Soul to Honor Paralyzed Military Veteran - Philadelphia Soul
- Storm's Scott Headed to Canadian Football League - Tampa Bay Storm
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
