Combat Wounded Iraq Veteran "Medical Miracle"

Marine veteran keeps a smile on his face, which is a medical miracle
Octavio Sanchez of Fontana was badly burned and lost one hand and his nose seven years ago in Iraq, but he's happy to be alive and with his family.
By T.J. Simers
November 3, 2012

Octavio Sanchez sits with his wife, Vanette, and their children -- Jacob, Ryan, Jaslyn and Octavio -- at the Rose Bowl, where he will be honored with other members of the Operation Mend program Saturday before the UCLA-Arizona game.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times / November 3, 2012)

So much bellyaching in sports today, so many athletes talking about the adversity they overcome, and Octavio Sanchez loses his right hand, two fingers on his left, his nose burns off and he says, "I've been blessed."

It's a lump-in-your throat UCLA Saturday night in the Rose Bowl, Fontana's very own Sanchez on the field between the first and second quarters, victory already his.

"It'd be a beautiful thing if I could throw a football to my kids," he says, but he's just fine with the prosthesis prongs working now as his right hand; painting the house, working on cars and waving to UCLA football fans.

He's lucky too, he says, and although the three remaining fingers on his other hand are fused together, swelling sometimes and looking like sausages, there's sensation.

"It's something special," he says, "to touch your children and feel their faces."

Almost 30 operations on his body, maybe more, but it's not like home runs hit, so who's counting?

He dies, several times, before being brought back, 68% of his body suffers third-degree burns and Sanchez says, he knows of only one way to react.

"Move forward."

And some people think they're having a bad day when their team loses.
read more here