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Amerigo Vespucci

(30,885 posts)
Thu May 31, 2012, 03:45 PM May 2012

The story of Taylor Morris (PHOTOS)

Last edited Thu May 31, 2012, 04:21 PM - Edit history (1)

http://thechive.com/2012/05/31/chivers-this-is-the-story-of-taylor-morris-22-photos/



Taylor Morris learned at an early age he was hooked on the outdoors, adventurous, the middle of 4 children and always the last one inside for dinner at his home in Cedar Falls, Iowa. His mother Juli recalled, "Our family took a camping trip from Niagra Falls down the East Coast one summer. Taylor set up the tents every night, started the fires, cooked the meals. Taylor was only 8 years old." As Taylor grew older and took to extreme water sports and rock climbing, Taylor discovered he was also very calm under extreme pressure. This quality would later make him the perfect candidate for the Navy's EOD, Explosive Ordinance Disposal.



Leading a team of Army Special forces to a classified location, Taylor stepped on an IED. It exploded underneath him and blew off all four of his limbs. Taylor recalled the moment to me over the phone, "As soon as I stepped on it, I knew. There was a moment, then I heard the blast. I felt the heat. I knew I had lost my legs. As I summersaulted through the air, I watched my legs fly off."



After the explosion, Taylor didn't lose consciousness, he didn't go into shock. His thoughts immediately crystalized. Even though Taylor was bleeding to death, he called to the oncoming medics NOT to come get him, putting their safety in front of his own life. "I recounted the moment of the explosion. There was no visual on the mine and no sound ID on my mine detector. That told me the mine was old. If there were other mines out there, the medics wouldn't see them or detect them unless it was cleared properly. I knew I had arterial bleeding from all 4 limbs and I was bleeding out fast. I told my buddies to stop, it would only have hurt me more if somebody stepped on another one."



Three days later on May 6th Taylor landed back in the States and was transported to Walter Reed hospital in Washington D.C. to begin the long and painful rehab process. Upon his arrival, Taylor became only the 5th person at Walter Reed to ever survive a four limb amputation. His physical progression in the last three weeks has defied everybody's expectations, "My body is responding well. I'm already sitting up. I'm very fortunate." Just yesterday, the stitches in his arms were removed and he was fitted for prosthetics.

29 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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The story of Taylor Morris (PHOTOS) (Original Post) Amerigo Vespucci May 2012 OP
. tk2kewl May 2012 #1
please, God, no more war. n/t librechik May 2012 #2
+1 Zorra Jun 2012 #18
Words fail. hedgehog May 2012 #3
Link tabatha May 2012 #4
Thank you...I didn't realize I'd left that out. n/t Amerigo Vespucci May 2012 #5
UPDATE: Amerigo Vespucci May 2012 #6
+1 seabeyond May 2012 #11
Me too. PotatoChip Jun 2012 #22
This post has been alerted on. Perhaps a "graphic images" advisory would be appropriate. ohiosmith May 2012 #7
Jury decision: ohiosmith May 2012 #8
I'm looking forward to the day when alerts are no longer anonymous. Amerigo Vespucci May 2012 #9
This post does not need a "graphic warning" unapatriciated May 2012 #13
I would bet such people make them "uncomfortable" obamanut2012 May 2012 #15
I just wanna add my support... OriginalGeek May 2012 #17
Good grief. tabasco May 2012 #12
How does the OP contain "graphic images"? obamanut2012 May 2012 #14
Agreed. These were real but not graphic. We are not children. yellowcanine Jun 2012 #26
so so sad. and yet... wow, what a man. nt seabeyond May 2012 #10
Way too sad malaise May 2012 #16
For nothing... Perhaps some crass political positioning.. but for nothing important. nt Bigmack Jun 2012 #25
Thanks for posting this AV. bluesbassman Jun 2012 #19
So heartbreaking. Quantess Jun 2012 #20
K & R just for the idiocy of the alert... WillParkinson Jun 2012 #21
No words. JNelson6563 Jun 2012 #23
We need to get out of Afghanistan Meiko Jun 2012 #24
UPDATE #2 (from same URL as my original post): Amerigo Vespucci Jun 2012 #27
k and r. Mosby Jun 2012 #28
UPDATE #3 (same URL as original post) Amerigo Vespucci Jun 2012 #29

Amerigo Vespucci

(30,885 posts)
6. UPDATE:
Thu May 31, 2012, 07:49 PM
May 2012
http://thechive.com/2012/05/31/daily-afternoon-randomness-46-photos-20/

You'll pardon the late DAR today. As many of you know, we posted a story about Taylor Morris, the Navy EOD tech who lost all four of his limbs when a mine exploded underneath him in Afghanistan last month. I asked the Chivers to raise $30,000 for a down payment on his dream cabin when he was finally able to return home to Iowa.

The Chivers had other ideas. They dismissed the idea of a down payment and decided to pay for the entire log cabin instead. We raised the goal of $30,000 in an hour flat.

In the last 3 hours since I posted it, Taylor's story has gone viral. We have just crossed the $95,000. We're on the cusp of hitting $100,000!!! I'm speechless at the Chivers' generosity as is Taylor and the entire Morris family. I will continue update the page through today into tomorrow.

Original Story HERE. Donate HERE.

Super-Awesome Update: We just hit $100,000 and the donations show no sign of stopping.

PotatoChip

(3,186 posts)
22. Me too.
Fri Jun 1, 2012, 07:09 AM
Jun 2012

I love that people generously donated enough money to buy a home for him. But otoh, it's such a shame that this young man had to suffer the consequences of the prolonged Afghanistan clusterfuck.

I was not opposed to our mission to wipe out Al Quieda and the Taliban in Afghanistan- originally. I believe if we had been able to focus on that, and only on that, we would have been out of there a long time ago. But of course, Cheney, Bush, Rumsfeld et all had other plans. Brought us into Iraq for no reason other then to enrich themselves and their friends. In the meantime, Afghanistan was allowed to degenerate to the point that there was/is little hope of regaining control. We need to get out.

Thank you Amerigo for the article.

ohiosmith

(24,262 posts)
8. Jury decision:
Thu May 31, 2012, 08:02 PM
May 2012

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate. (See <a href="http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=aboutus#communitystandards" target="_blank">Community Standards</a>.)

ALERTER'S COMMENTS:

I don't mind the post, however, it should come with a graphic warning about the images in the title!

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Thu May 31, 2012, 04:59 PM, and the Jury voted 0-6 to LEAVE IT.

Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: Rather than alerting, why not PM the OP. the only reason I don't consider this alert a waste of time is I would not have seen this post otherwise. And it needs to be seen.
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: Leave it alone. To the person that alerted on this -- sorry, but you wasted our time with "it should come with a graphic warning" ? Yes, some of the images are rough. War is rough. The stories need to be told.
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: Hey alerter: ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?????? You should be ashamed of yourself.
Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: No explanation given
Juror #5 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: Agree with alerter as regards the "graphic warning". Leave the post.
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: Really, and Alert on this?

Thank you very much for participating in our Jury system, and we hope you will be able to participate again in the future.

Amerigo Vespucci

(30,885 posts)
9. I'm looking forward to the day when alerts are no longer anonymous.
Thu May 31, 2012, 08:31 PM
May 2012

Given the way this was handled, I'm going to say "have a nice day" to the alerter instead. If they'd replied in the thread and politely requested a "graphic warning" I probably would have done it. Now, I'm not going to do it.

unapatriciated

(5,390 posts)
13. This post does not need a "graphic warning"
Thu May 31, 2012, 08:53 PM
May 2012

I would ask the alerter if he/she adverts their eyes when meeting a person with disabilities in real life. Is the physical appearance the only thing they value in their fellow man? I saw a courageous handsome young man.

obamanut2012

(26,068 posts)
15. I would bet such people make them "uncomfortable"
Thu May 31, 2012, 10:36 PM
May 2012

Even though said people are so "uplifting" and "inspiring."

UGH.

OriginalGeek

(12,132 posts)
17. I just wanna add my support...
Thu May 31, 2012, 11:26 PM
May 2012

graphic warning my fucking ass.

Don't do it AV and thank you for the thread.

obamanut2012

(26,068 posts)
14. How does the OP contain "graphic images"?
Thu May 31, 2012, 10:34 PM
May 2012

It doesn't. A bandaged man in a hospital bed is not "graphic." Showing him in the dirt with his four limbs spraying blood would be graphic.

Ridiculous.

yellowcanine

(35,699 posts)
26. Agreed. These were real but not graphic. We are not children.
Fri Jun 1, 2012, 10:39 AM
Jun 2012

It is also a mistake for the U.S. military to be hiding the reality of war from the American people. We need to see these images. It is too easy to forget that we are at war and young people are being put in harm's way.

bluesbassman

(19,372 posts)
19. Thanks for posting this AV.
Fri Jun 1, 2012, 12:16 AM
Jun 2012

As a vet, I applaud Taylor's service to his country.

As a citizen, I deplore that he suffered these life altering injuries being somewhere we should not be.

 

Meiko

(1,076 posts)
24. We need to get out of Afghanistan
Fri Jun 1, 2012, 10:25 AM
Jun 2012

right now and any other place in the middle east we have set up little hidey holes, enough is enough.

Amerigo Vespucci

(30,885 posts)
27. UPDATE #2 (from same URL as my original post):
Fri Jun 1, 2012, 11:08 AM
Jun 2012
Update #10: 5:30 PST $115,265 UPDATE #11 (5 minutes later): $120,000

Late Night Update: I'll continue these updates first thing in the morning. Even late into the night the donations continue to surge. We've hit $143,000. You've exceeded the initial goal by over $100,000. Words escape me.

Amerigo Vespucci

(30,885 posts)
29. UPDATE #3 (same URL as original post)
Fri Jun 1, 2012, 06:05 PM
Jun 2012
Yesterday, we posted a story about Taylor Morris, a Navy EOD who lost all his limbs in an explosion in Afghanistan. Taylor had always dreamed of having a log cabin on a lake so we asked the Chivers to pitch in the down payment on his dream home. I set the goal at $30,000. The Chivers smashed the goal in less than an hour. We couldn’t have predicted in the opening minutes of the campaign that the Chivers were, in fact, just clearing their throats.

Many of the early comments read something like, ‘Screw the down payment. Let’s get him the whole cabin instead.’ The donations began to surge. I received an email from a family friend watching Taylor’s donation page. “John, the donations appear to be coming in faster since we hit our goal. How? This is insane!’

Not insane really, just how the Chivers have always rolled. Minutes ago, donations blasted past $200,000… $170,000 more than we asked for.

Taylor’s story is just beginning. The local and national media are now decsending upon the Morris family to help spread his inspirational story and I’ll keep you posted on the new developments. In the meantime, enjoy your weekend, you’ve earned it. Donate right here.

http://thechive.com/2012/06/01/daily-afternoon-randomness-39-hq-photos/
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