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Former Marine shares inspirational story in book

Posted at 6:40 PM, Feb 02, 2016
and last updated 2016-02-02 18:40:21-05

“I feel like a new man everyday” said 30-year-old Bryan Carpenter, a U.S Marine veteran, as he lifts weights at the gym.

He may look pretty healthy as he walks through the fitness center, but 10 years ago, that was not the case.

“I had a bad traumatic brain injury, bunch of broken bones, back, pelvis, ankles.” 

While on deployment serving in the military as a Marine, Carpenter's vehicle went over a roadside bomb during night patrol.

He said, “I actually blacked out right away. I remember driving up to where I hit the bomb, and the last thought that went through my head was, oh wow, the combat engineers fixed the road.”

Carpenter suffered the most severe injuries out of all of his comrades that day and when he awoke from his two week comma, doctors told him he would never walk again.

But with the support of his family and friends on one side and with his courage and strength on the other, Carpenter was determined to not give up.

His good friend explained his determination to beat the odds is indicative of the type of guy he is.

She said, “he’s very intense, very stubborn, very gun-ho, if he wants something, it’s going to get done, but that stubbornness is how he preservers.”

Now, physically healed from the accident and able to walk just fine, Carpenter wants to spread his message of hope through his new book.

“It is Bryan’s dream being fulfilled,” his friend said.

“I want people to realize that there’s nothing that cannot be overcome,” Carpenter said. “Once things get stressful, people just give up, and as stressful and as hard as it was for me I never gave up.”

He also recognized his healing process is still not over, as the memory of the incident will forever be imprinted in his mind.

“Certain things will get me to stare off into space and kind of put me back where I was, but I can keep it under control to where I don’t let it control me and make me do anything I wouldn’t normally do.”