Military Amputee Seeks Help for Wounded

Military Amputee Seeks Help for Wounded
Amputee Veteran Seeks Self-Financed Disability Insurance for Wounded Soldiers and Their Families
By SAM HANANEL
The Associated Press
Feb. 13, 2005 - Ever since Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Kelly lost his right leg to a roadside bomb near Baghdad more than a year ago, he has been on a mission. It was more than just learning how to walk again on a prosthetic limb or figuring out what to do with his life after 13 months at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. Kelly, 24, of Prescott, Ariz., saw a need to help other wounded soldiers and their families cope with the financial struggles that come with months of rehabilitation.

In the past month, Kelly and an advocacy group for veterans have persuaded several lawmakers to support the idea of creating a self-financed insurance plan that would award $50,000 to severely disabled soldiers before Veterans Affairs' benefits kick in. The federal money can take a year or more to get to recipients.

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