Stephen Priest
Just a month after his 19th birthday, Stephen was on a combat patrol in Afghanistan when he was hit by an IED explosion. The impact was catastrophic, taking both of his legs and part of his left arm.
Stephen After Explosion
He Always Knew He Wanted to Serve
For Stephen Priest, becoming a Boy Scout at age 12 gave him a vision for his whole future. “Boys Scouts taught me so many valuable life and survival skills. I earned my Eagle Scout rank at the age of 18 and also joined an explorer’s program which helped me prepare for my time in the Army and got me interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement after my time in the military.”
At 17, Stephen enlisted and became a proud member of the 82nd Airborne Division as an infantryman.
He Flatlined Twice
On May 17, 2012, just a month after his 19th birthday, Stephen was on a combat patrol with his squad in a village known for insurgent activity and IEDs. “That day as we pushed through, I stepped on an IED. The explosion took both my legs and part of my arm.”
“I remember everything the blast, the sound, the rush, and the pain. My squad acted quickly to get me stabilized, and the medevac crew risked coming into a hot zone to extract me. During the flight, I flatlined, and I was revived by an adrenaline shot to the chest.
I reached a nearby hospital and flatlined for a second time while the doctors were treating my injuries. Once I was more stable, I was sent to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.”
He Lived in the Hospital for Over a Year
“My recovery at Walter Reed was intense, as I battled infections and multiple surgeries. Once I became more stable, I transferred to the Naval Medical Center San Diego to be closer to family. I spent the next year and a half recovering in the hospital and learning to live with my new disability. I concentrated on methods to recover physically, emotionally, and spiritually, which led me to reconnect with nature and camping. Scuba diving became another passion, allowing me the freedom to move without my wheelchair and a sense of tranquility beneath the surface.”
Now I Create Spaces that Combine Functionality and Inclusivity
Stephen medically retired from the military at the age of 20 and shifted his focus to architecture. “My injuries prevented me from pursuing a career in law enforcement as I planned, so I returned to my love of art and design, and now hold a Master in Architecture degree. My education taught me to challenge architectural norms and create spaces that combine functionality and inclusivity. Currently, I work on healthcare architecture and design, which allows me to bring my firsthand experience living in a hospital as well as my understanding of accessible design."
Stephen is married to his high school sweetheart, Catherine, and they look forward to starting a family in the coming years.
The Gary Sinise Foundation looks forward to building Stephen and his wife an accessible home inspired by his own exploration of designs that make homes inclusive and functional. We are honored to provide him with a forever home where his family can grow and he can easily participate in the joys of everyday life.
