STAMFORD, Conn., Sept. 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bryce Cherryholmes, a retired staff sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps and ambassador for the national nonprofit SoldierStrong, will be recognized as the “Hero of the Game” by the Miami Marlins when the Major League Baseball team hosts the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 19 at loanDepot park.
“Every Monday home game this season, the Miami Marlins Foundation, in conjunction with a local retailer, pay tribute to U.S. military veterans for their service and selfless dedication,” said SoldierStrong co-founder and chairman Chris Meek. “Bryce is a shining example of the courage and sacrifice exhibited by so many brave men and women in defense of our freedom.”
Cherryholmes served in Iraq and Afghanistan where he sustained several injuries during eight years of multiple deployments. Those injuries resulted in severe and debilitating chronic pain. These injuries resulted in a four-level spinal fusion, followed by subsequent surgeries to relieve the pain. Complications from one of these have left him as a T3 complete paraplegic with a 5-percent chance of walking again.
With the help of a SoldierSuit, the signature device that SoldierStrong donates to Veterans Affairs hospitals across the country, Cherryholmes has reaped the physical and emotional benefits of being able to stand, walk and enjoy everyday activities. SoldierSuit exoskeletons are used in the rehabilitation of paralyzed individuals who experience mobility setbacks from strokes, spinal cord, and traumatic brain injuries to help them regain the ability to stand and walk again. SoldierStrong, a nonprofit dedicated to connecting veterans with revolutionary medical technology to help them take their next steps in life after service, has donated 29 SoldierSuits to medical facilities since its inception.
“SoldierStrong appreciates the Miami Marlins Foundation for recognizing the service of our nation’s heroes, and Bryce in particular,” Meek said. “We believe his story of facing and overcoming daunting obstacles will inspire others to achieve their full potential.”
To date, SoldierStrong has donated $5.2 million in state-of-the-art medical devices to individual veterans and VA medical centers, including hyper-advanced prosthetics, virtual reality hardware and software, known as BraveMind, to aid in the treatment of post-traumatic stress, and the iBOT PMD ® powered wheelchair.
About SoldierStrong
SoldierStrong helps American patriots literally take their next steps forward. Through educational scholarships and by harnessing revolutionary technology in advanced rehabilitation, we help returning service men and women continue moving in the only direction they should know – forward. Nearly every dollar SoldierStrong receives goes toward support of American patriots so that they can re-acclimate to civilian life.Our organization works to remind veterans who have sacrificed so much that we are forever thankful. For more information, visit http://www.soldierstrong.org/
SOLDIERSTRONG CONTACT: ERIC WOOLSON
515.681.3967 or ewoolson@theconceptworks.com
MIAMI MARLINS CONTACT: JON ERIK ALVAREZ
305.480.1395 or jalvarez@marlins.com
