Former Army Sgt. Joel Gomez, whose story inspired his hometown to rally behind him, died Tuesday from complications related to the catastrophic injuries he suffered in the Iraq War.
Former Amy Sgt. Joel Gomez, a quadriplegic since he was injured while serving in Iraq, is visited in the hospital by his friend Manny Favela on Nov. 17, 2022.from complications related to the catastrophic injuries he suffered in the Iraq War.
“Joel is an American hero, but his injuries highlight the flaws in the system,” said his friend Michelle Senatore, who led efforts to build an accessible home for Gomez after he returned from Iraq. “It didn’t need to be like this.”March 17, 2004, when the armored vehicle he was riding in toppled into the Tigris River while on a mission to capture enemy soldiers who had been firing on his base.
“We lost an American hero who sacrificed his life for this country and fought like a warrior to stay alive for 17 years,” said Favela, who was with Gomez when he died. “He was given little or no chance to survive long and he proved everyone wrong. I was honored and it was a privilege to serve him in helping him manage his affairs in an effort to make his life a bit easier.
Gomez’s sister, a single mother of three who works outside the home, lived with him and handled nighttime duties after Cuahquentzi left for the day. When medical emergencies arose in the middle of the night, however, she often called Cuahquentzi for help. And if he had to go to the hospital, Cuahquentzi went too, serving as Gomez’s on-site advocate as she provided the doctors with his medical history and detailed the many medications he took.
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