Sergeant Jeremy Cooney of the U.S. Marine Corps
Before leaving for deployment in Afghanistan, my 6-year-old son Michael suffered from cerebral palsy.
I heard the doctor’s diagnosis that I would never be able to walk for the rest of my life.
During the seven months that my father was away on deployment,
His mother, Melissa, and other family members helped Michael stand on his own and taught him to walk.
The family kept this surprising progress a secret from the husband.
The day I returned from deployment,
My son Michael, who was waiting for his father at the gym, was without assistive devices.
This is a video showing a scene where he walks to his father under his own power.