Brad Soden has been through a lot in his life.
The US hero not only fought in the first Iraq War, but he also saved many lives as a firefighter after his service was over.
Brad lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with his wife Liz and their three kids.
Brad lived the dream for a long time. But on August 15, 1999, the day of the accident, everything changed.
Brad and Liz had their kids in their truck. Liz was behind the wheel when the front left tire went flat. It got out of her hands, and she drove off the road.
The couple’s three boys only got minor bruises, which is good news. Brad’s wounds were a little worse; he broke his leg. But Liz’s position was terrible: she broke her back and couldn’t move from the waist down.
Liz had to go to the hospital quickly for surgery. When she woke up, the doctors told her what was wrong.
Liz believed her life was over. At the time, she was dating Brad and thought he would break up with her for a “normal woman.”
What did Brad say? He got down on one knee and asked her to marry him right there in the hospital.
Liz said “yes,” of course, and they got married soon after.
It took a long time for her to get better, and her family was there for her the whole time.
Liz is a strong woman, but it was very hard for her to get used to her new life in a wheelchair. Even more so since hiking has been a family favorite activity.
Liz tried to follow along after the accident, but she quickly realized that the rough trails she loved would never be possible in her wheelchair.
While the rest of the family was following a moose trail, Liz had to stay behind on the flat road.
She told her family to keep going while crying. Brad was so upset by that picture that he vowed it would never happen again.
Brad was a repair technician in the army and was in charge of keeping tanks in good shape and cleaning them.
As part of his job, he decided to make Liz a special wheelchair that could go off-road so she could go with the family wherever they went.
But it wasn’t as easy as it seemed.
Brad worked in the garage for days on end. He didn’t go outside very often some days, and he got angry sometimes.
People in the neighborhood and Liz got used to the loud noise from the garage.
Brad’s question? To make an electric engine that is quiet and can be used in the woods and at campsites.
Brad had finally found the answer after many hours of work. He called Liz over to the garage and gave her a special wheelchair with tank treads as a gift.
People did notice Brad’s creation. CEOs of the high-tech company NPC Robotics were among those who liked the all-terrain scooter.
The company helped Brad and made a sample from the model he gave them. Liz’s new wheelchair is made with current technology and is quiet, quick, and able to go off-road.
When the family goes on a walk these days, Brad, the kids, and Liz are hard to keep up with…
What a wonderful idea! Brad has not only shown Liz how much he loves her, but also that he is smart and determined to get through anything!