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Meet Our Wounded Warriors
| About UCLA Operation Mend, wounded warriors, reconstructive surgery |
Listed below are a few of our wounded warriors and their stories.
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Marine Corporal Aaron P. Mankin was Operation Mend's first patient in August 2007. He is currently living in Texas and has two beautiful children. On May 11th, 2005, he was wounded when the 26-ton amphibious assault vehicle he was traveling in rolled over an improvised explosive device and was propelled 10 feet in the air. Four Marines died in the attack and 11 others were injured. In addition to the damage sustained to his throat and lungs from smoke inhalation, Cpl. Mankin suffered intense burns on over 25 percent of his body. His ears, nose and mouth were essentially gone and he lost two fingers on his right hand. |
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Army Sergeant Darron Mikeworth is active duty living in North Carolina and is stationed at Fort Bragg with his wife Dea and two young boys. In April of 2005, as a Humvee gunner on the way to Balad Air Base in Iraq, he saw a suicide bomber approach his convoy. The attack nearly killed Sgt. Mikeworth and left him terribly disfigured. It broke every bone in his face. He lost his nose, left eye, and almost lost his right arm. He is in the process of a series of operations with Christopher A. Crisera, M.D. that include constructing a lower eyelid in which a prosthetic eye can be placed, reconstructing his nose and reforming his lips. He is slowly regaining his face and his life. |
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Marine Staff Sergeant Octavio Sanchez is a married father of four and is currently retired and living in California. In July 2005 he was the victim of a makeshift roadside bomb in Ramadi and suffered third-degree burns over 70 percent of his face and body. Before arriving at the V.A.-Greater Los Angeles, he was told there was nothing more that could be done for him. Timothy A. Miller, M.D. was able to construct a nose, using skin from Sgt. Sanchez's forehead. Once the blood supply was in place, a piece of one of his ribs was implanted to provide structure to the nose. Nostrils were fashioned out of remaining ear cartilage and his lips and cheeks were rebuilt. He has undergone several surgeries and now enjoys a more natural and normal appearance. |
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Marine Corporal Diane Cardile was awarded a Purple Heart after she was injured in Iraq in June 2005. Her Humvee that was filled with 13 other female Marines was hit by a suicide car bomb while driving in a convoy back to Camp Fallujah. She sustained serious burns around her mouth and her hands. | |
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Army Captain James Barclay is currently living in Alabama with his wife and three children. While serving as an infantry platoon leader for the 10th Mountain Division, Captain Barclay was wounded in Afghanistan by a roadside bomb on August 19, 2006. Three soldiers died that day and Captain Barclay and his driver were the only soldiers who survived. Forty-seven percent of his body was burned; 35 percent were third-degree burns. The enormous amount of scarring disfigured his face and limited his ability to fully open his mouth. The surgeries he has undergone with Dr. Timothy Miller at UCLA have restored much of his mobility and function and reduced the scarring tremendously. | |
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Army Sergeant Salvador Trujillo-Lopez is currently living in Oregon with his wife, and three children. He was injured on June 23, 2006 suffering second and third degree burns over 40 percent of his body when his Bradley fighting vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb in Iraq. Salvador has undergone several surgeries on his face and hands as well as medical tattooing. His scars do not stop him from spending as much time with his kids as possible and snowboarding whenever he can. He is very happy with the results of his surgeries. | |
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Marine Gunnery Sergeant Blaine Scott is Operation Mend's 7th patient and the first to have surgery at UCLA on his ankle as an Operation Mend participant. He is married and a father of three. In August 2006 he was hit with an improvised explosive device in Iraq. Three of his comrades died and three were injured. He ended up at Brooke Army Medical in San Antonio, Texas with burns to his head, face, arms and legs. He had a severely broken ankle and foot. He remains active duty and recently returned from another deployment in Afghanistan after several very successful surgeries. He and his family have recently relocated to Texas for his new position in the Marine Corps. | |
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Marine Corporal Joseph Piram is retired and living in Minnesota with his family. Joe joined the Marine Corps after graduating from high school in 2004. He served two, seven-month tours in Iraq and was injured in Afghanistan only two months away from completing his service in the Marine Corps. On June 20, 2008, an improvised explosive device hit his Humvee. Joe was burned over 35 percent of his body and broke his back in the incident. He has extensive scarring on the right side of his face and has lost his right ear. Joe continues to stay positive and is back in school to become a police officer. | |
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Army Sergeant Richard (Rick) Yarosh currently lives in Binghamton, New York. He was deployed to Iraq in December 2005 (then a PFC) as a driver of a Bradley Fighting Vehicle and then moved to the gunner position. On September 1, 2006, Sgt. Yarosh and his fellow soldiers were on patrol in the Abu Ghraib region of Iraq when their Bradley vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb. The explosion ruptured the vehicle's fuel cell and engulfed the entire crew and vehicle in flames. Sgt. Yarosh's face and body were on fire when he jumped from the top of the Bradley's turret. His jump broke his right leg, severing an artery, which resulted in an amputation (below the knee). He suffered burns over 60 percent of his body, lost partial digits and full use in both hands, lost both of his ears and part of his nose. | |
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Marine Corporal Oyoana Allende is married, studying occupational therapy, and living in New York City for the summer. She was injured on June 23, 2005 when a suicide bomber rammed his car, wired with explosives into her Marine convoy truck. Fourteen female Marines were riding in the bed of the truck at the time, being dropped off at various military checkpoints where they helped search Iraqi women for weapons and explosives. Three female Marines were killed in the incident, plus the driver of her vehicle, the gunner and a rescuer. She sustained extensive burns to her face, hands and knees. Despite the events of this tragedy, Oyoana keeps a smile on her face and makes the world around her glow. | |
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Marine Sergeant Christopher Gray, currently living in North Carolina with his wife and two beautiful daughters was in an Abrams tank in Fallujah, Iraq, on February 17, 2007, when two rocket-propelled grenades hit his vehicle causing the ammunition inside to explode directly behind Gray's head. Everyone inside the tank was injured when it became engulfed in flames. Gray suffered third-degree burns on 53 percent of his body. Since then, he has been through multiple skin grafts and other surgeries, including a cornea transplant. About 125 centimeters of his small intestine was removed. He has undergone the beginning stages of the forehead flap procedure with Dr. Miller. | |
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Army Sergeant Jason March is retired and living in San Antonio Texas with his wife and stepson. On August 27, 2006 while leading a platoon near Fallujah he was hit by a sniper's bullet in the back of the head near his right ear while standing in the gun turret of a Bradley. The right side of Sgt. March's head, ear, jaw and brain received the direct impact of the wound. His motor control has improved, most of his memories of past events is intact and his personality, sense of humor and love of life and family are as strong as ever. | |
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Army Staff Sergeant Michael Mills is retired and living in Minnesota with his wife and two children. He was injured in Kirkuk, Iraq on June 14, 2005 by an improvised explosive device that burned over 31% of his body and broke his scapula, clavicle and 4 bones in his left foot. His left hip was badly broken. He had his left little finger and thumb amputated, has 13 pins and a plate in his hip, he's missing a portion of his left ear and nose. He is currently undergoing the beginning stages of reconstruction with Dr. Miller. | |
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TSGT. Israel Del Toro currently living in San Antonio Texas with his wife and son. He was severely injured while on tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2005. Originally his job was to call in air strikes, but that December, his Humvee hit a massive IED. Del Toro was burned over 80 percent of his body. Doctors gave Del Toro a 20 percent chance of survival. He has undergone over 100 surgeries since his accident. Israel’s positive outlook on life continues to inspire everyone that has the pleasure of meeting him. | |
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Navy Chief Petty Officer Robert Bruce was recently promoted to Chief Petty Officer, Robert Bruce is currently living in San Antonio Texas and was one of eight sailors injured Dec. 1, 2006 when a steam pipe ruptured aboard the Guam-based submarine tender USS Frank Cable. The steam line ruptured during a safety-valve check while the ship was docked at Guam’s Apra Harbor sending hot steam into the fire room where Bruce was one of 14 sailors acting as technicians, standing watch or observing the safety check. Two sailors have since died of their injuries. | |
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Marine Corporal Ronny Porta is currently living in San Antonio Texas with his new puppy. While he was in Al Asad Iraq on May 5, 2007, his Humvee hit a roadside IED killing two of the marines he was with instantly and severely burning Ronny. His prognosis was devastating: 3rd, 4th and 5th degree burns over 35% of his body. He had to have his right arm amputated and suffered facial disfigurement, the loss of his nose, damage to ears and eye sockets, and loss of fingers on his left hand. Ronny's soft hearted approach to everyone he encounters is a reminder of the strength and courage he posses. | |
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Army Specialist Joseph (Joey) Paulk is retired and living back in his hometown of Vista, California with his girlfriend and two dogs. On July 5, 2007 he was injured in Afghanistan when his tactical vehicle was hit by 3 anti-tank mines, flipping it over and igniting the fuel tank. Tragically, his team leader lost his life during the attack, and Joey was left with significant injuries. He suffered 40% burns to his body and face, smoke inhalation, paralysis of his vocal cords and complete amputation of all 10 fingers. He had to re-learn how to walk, talk, swallow, and cope without the use of his hands. Joey is a changed man after only three surgeries with Operation Mend. | |
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U.S ARMY SSG Juan A Amaris is originally from Cali Colombia. He moved to the United States in 1999, and joined the Military on February of 2001. He did his basic training at Fort Sill Oklahoma, then he was sent to Fort Benign for Airborne School and finally to Fort Bragg North Carolina. He served under the 1-377 Field Artillery Air assault Battalion, Unit with which he deployed to Mosul Iraq at the beginning of 2003 and return earlier 2004. After he got back he was sent to Fort Wainwright Alaska to be part of the new striker brigade. SSG Amaris deployed in the middle of August of 2005 with this unit to Iraq where he was injured in theater on June 20 of 2006. He was burned over 77% of his body and lost the use of both hands. SSG Amaris is currently living in San Antonio Texas, with his wife and two children. His motto to this day is "I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you... YOU are in charge of your attitude." | |
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CPL. Louis Dahlman is an active duty soldier living in San Antonio Texas with his wife and newborn daughter. After three months on tour in Iraq in 2007, he was hit by an EFP (roadside bomb). His jaw was blown off and he lost all of his bottom teeth as well as a lot of soft tissue and bone. He is currently having reconstructive plastic surgery with Dr. Jarrahy at UCLA, to repair his jaw. | |
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Marine Corporal Jacob Tabora from Queens New York City was deployed to Iraq in 2007. After 9 months overseas he returned to the states and began rigorous training to be redeployed in the summer of 2008. During a live fire training event on base at 29 Palms a defective 120mm tank round exploded inside of his tank setting it on fire and trapping Jacob inside. He suffered 55% total surface body burns-36% of which were 3rd degree. After receiving a year of exceptional treatment at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio Texas, Jacob will also be having reconstructive plastic surgery with Dr. Miller at UCLA, December 1st, 2009. | |
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SPC. Francesca Duke is currently living in San Antonio Texas with her family. Her job as a Military Police Officer was to train and maintain an Iraqi Police station in Ramadi, Iraq. On August 21, 2006 the IP station she was assigned to was blown up by a VBIED carrying propane tanks and explosives. She was burned on her legs, arms, banc, trunk, and face. She will be having her first surgery at UCLA at the end of this year and is home celebrating the new birth of her beautiful daughter. | |
