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Injured Soldier Has Plans For After Army, Rehab

Posted: 7:22 pm MST November 28, 2008Updated: 9:42 pm MST November 28, 2008

He's home for the holiday but preparing for the new year already.

Injured Army soldier Adrian Garcia said he's ready for life after the Army, and rehabilitation on his legs.

Adrian Garcia,20, said he's ready to know what is beyond the Army, and therapy.

After more than a year and a half of rehab on his legs, Garcia said he's ready to go to college.

“I want to go to a good college like UT Austin. I'm hoping to be there in the next four to five months and start up in the spring.

He and his mother Lourdes say it might be difficult to live in El Paso, a city without a lot of options for those with disabilities.

“The man from the VA told me that even Tinseltown, they're going through some legal process the handicapped people are doing something because not even Tinseltown was equipped,” said Lourdes Garcia.

And her son is used to having a lot of options in San Antonio where he receives rehabilitation.

“I'm used to playing wheelchair football, wheelchair basketball wheelchair softball because the community there. It's an Army town it's home for the center of the intrepid and for amputees it's a big amputee orientated city so the city has more to do for wheelchair people.

Garcia is planning to study film. When he returns to San Antonio, he will start filling out the necessary paperwork. Meanwhile mom may start getting people together to make El Paso more American's with disabilities compliant.

Maybe we can start looking into getting something done. Maybe but we need to contact the right people this is good cause if there is anyone out there that knows what to do or who to contact we could please cont be.

“You don't understand how hard it is to be n a certain city that is not ADA compliant until you are in a wheelchair,” said Adrian Garcia.

Adrian said UT Austin doesn't work out, he was offered a position at the University of Central Oklahoma on the paralympic sitting volleyball team.

Lourdes Garcia is looking for other borderland parents to share ideas with in bringing more activities to El Paso for those with disabilities.

She can be reached at 915-872-1563.

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