Tampa Bay Navy veteran receives wheelchair upgrade

The Brief

  • U.S. Navy Petty Officer First Class Jerry Wayne Padgett II received a new all-terrain wheelchair, courtesy of Freedom Alliance.
  • Padgett II was injured in 2006 while on patrol in Afghanistan, leading to multiple injuries.
  • This upgraded wheelchair will enhance Padgett’s quality of life, especially going out on trails.

LUTZ, Fla. It is a very special day for a Tampa Bay veteran as he received a brand-new wheelchair on Wednesday morning courtesy of Freedom Alliance.

U.S. Navy Petty Officer First Class Jerry Wayne Padgett II now has a new all-terrain wheelchair.

The backstory:

He enlisted in the Navy in 2001, deploying five times and contributing as a command community relations photographer and rescue swimmer.

In 2006, while he was on patrol in Afghanistan, he was seriously injured by an explosive device with a spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, audio and visual impairments.

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