Meet Sterling

I got burnt all over my body and face

My name is Sterling Colby Dunn, I’m a wounded veteran and currently live in San Antonio, TX.

I got hurt in October 2007 while deployed to Afghanistan: I was burning waste and a fuel canister ignited catching me on fire.

While on fire I started running trying to reach my friends and fell from the ridgeline of the mountain, where I landed on my head; they carried me down the mountain where I could finally be airlifted; I was sent first to Germany then to the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, TX.

As a result of this accident I got burnt all over my body and face (3rd degree burns on my lower body - 1st and 2nd degree on my upper body and face), suffered of concussion, injured my right knee and ankle and my back (my hip -that was perfectly normal before the accident- is now shifted and this causes back pain) and suffer of tbi and severe ptsd.

I'm still receiving treatments for my injuries at Audie Murphy VA Hospital in San Antonio.

While I was still recovered at BAMC in February 2008 my wife (who is an Italian citizen) reached me from Italy: here what I call "our Odissey with immigration" started.

Since we didn't know if the army would pcs me in San Antonio or no, my wife came here just with her visa waiver (which means her simple passport).

When the army finally pcs me here we had to face the reality that there is absolutely no program whatsoever for foreign spouses of wounded warriors therefore my wife -who refused to leave me here by myself- could risk to be deported anytime. Finally -with the help of private organizations- we could afford to apply for her change of status. But our problems with immigration were just started…in fact we had our application rejected many times! Only in June 2009 (yep more than one year after) it was finally approved (meanwhile my wife couldn't drive work or leave the country to visit her family). It's kind of ironic that despite I had my life at stake for this country I had to fight and fight to have my right of having my loved one with me recognized.

This is just one of the many many issues we had since I got hurt!!!

We decided to buy a house in San Antonio so it's easier for me to go to my many appointments and here I live with my wife and our baby son but our dream would be to relocate some day in Italy!

I want to thank you guys so much for your help…!!!You really relieved my stress and this helps my recovery a lot.

Thank you for your support and God bless you!!!