Family preparing for wounded soldier’s return home

Family preparing for wounded soldier’s return home
By Caroline Boyer - cboyer@theworldco.info

August 2, 2008
As Sean Humphrey sorted through his son’s personal items Friday, just shipped to Shawnee from Iraq, he was reminded of how lucky he was.

“I’m glad I’m going through this stuff to bring to him, rather than to put into storage,” Humphrey said. “We’re just so blessed that he’s alive.”

Humphrey’s son, Army Spc. John Humphrey, 23, was severely wounded July 15 when an improvised explosive device detonated while his unit was conducting combat operations in Kn’an, Iraq. He was just two and a half months away from the end of a 15-month tour.

Series of surgeries

John now is recovering in the Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D.C. On Thursday, he had his fourth surgery; the explosion caused damage that required partial amputation of both his right arm and left leg.

The reality of the situation had been a blow to his parents; his mother, Denise, is a cheerleading coach at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School and Sean Humphrey is a Lawrence firefighter who formerly served as a volunteer firefighter for the Shawnee Fire Department.

“People say they’re caught up in a whirlwind, and that’s exactly how it feels right now,” Sean said. “It’s my business to help people, but I don’t know what to do right now. You can’t prepare for this.”

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