topic Re: He Did it! in Community Chat

He Did it!

itiswhatitis — Sat, 25 Mar 2017 03:46:18 GMT

History was made in New York's Long Island community of Brentwood.

An Army veteran and double amputee became the first police officer ever to graduate from the Police Academy. This is one for the record books. It is believed that never has there been an appointment secured by an amputee ~ let alone a double amputee.

Wonderful! Someone gave him a chance and he proved himself worthy! I am reminded that we all need help to get where we need and want to be.

BRENTWOOD, N.Y. -- Making it through seven months of police training is a big achievement for anyone. But for one recruit at the Suffolk County police academy on Long Island, New York, the accomplishment borders on the miraculous.

“I just got chills. I hear the pipe band play drums and this beat going through my body. Have this pride going through you. You completed this dream that you didn’t know you could complete,” said Matias Ferreira after graduating Friday.

The 28-year-old used to be a Marine and served in Afghanistan. In 2011, he stepped on an improvised explosive device and lost both legs from the knee down.

It was a nightmare, and the end of a childhood dream.

Matias Ferreira

CBS NEWS

Matias immigrated to America from Uruguay at the age of six. Not long after, he saw a Marine in dress blues.

“That’s what I want to be when I grow up,” he thought, right then and there.

The plan was to stay a Marine for life -- until he lost his legs and had to come up with a new plan to serve.

“So I started looking at the police department to see if they would take me with the situation of the prosthetics,” he said. “I just kept Googling ‘prosthetics,’ ‘officer with prosthetics,’ and nothing came up. I couldn’t find anything.”

Because nobody had done it.

“I was going in blind. I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Matias said.

As best anyone could tell, there had never been a full-time, active duty, double amputee police officer. But that didn’t stop Matias.

He applied like everyone else. Really the only special accommodation he wanted was that he not get any special accommodations.

“If I can do it myself, I earned it. If someone else helped me, I wouldn’t have wanted it. It wouldn’t have been fair to me or the officers behind me,” he said.

So he went through the same exact training. Some in the department were curious -- if he fell trying to apprehend a subject, could he even get up? And he answered that, too.

Which brings us here. On Friday, Matias not only graduated, he graduated class president, with a wife and daughter who were clearly proud.

After losing his legs, Matias said he knew if he worked hard, another door would open.

And here he is, on the glorious other side of that threshold.

Re: He Did it!

mzlg — Sat, 25 Mar 2017 04:28:30 GMT

@itiswhatitis, yes, this is wonderful ... such an amazing story. Matias Ferreira has such strong determination and dedication to succeed ... this

'accomplishment borders on the miraculous'.

Re: He Did it!

De Anna — Sat, 25 Mar 2017 04:41:22 GMT

This just goes to show you, no matter the diability or issue if you want something bad enough, go for it. God bless him and his family.

Re: He Did it!

itiswhatitis — Sat, 25 Mar 2017 04:46:28 GMT

@mzlg wrote:
@itiswhatitis, yes, this is wonderful ... such an amazing story. Matias Ferreira has such strong determination and dedication to succeed ... this
'accomplishment borders on the miraculous'.

@mzlg It is indeed amazing. Someone saw his potential. All it takes is someone who believes in you! There is a video that shows some of his training. You might find it on the CBS website. I saw it in real time and he walked so proudly up to the stage and back during the ceremony. I cried. Yes, I'm a cry baby for things like this......

Re: He Did it!

itiswhatitis — Sat, 25 Mar 2017 04:46:56 GMT

@De Anna wrote:
This just goes to show you, no matter the diability or issue if you want something bad enough, go for it. God bless him and his family.

@De Anna, so true!!!

Re: He Did it!

Tinkrbl44 — Sat, 25 Mar 2017 05:40:10 GMT

It was on the evening news! Good for him!

I was wondering .... anyone know if his duties will be restricted? I just can't see him chasing a perp down a dark alley.

Re: He Did it!

itiswhatitis — Sat, 25 Mar 2017 05:52:49 GMT

@Tinkrbl44 wrote:
It was on the evening news! Good for him!

I was wondering .... anyone know if his duties will be restricted? I just can't see him chasing a perp down a dark alley.

You'd be wrong too @Tinkrbl44. Why don't you go look at how he trained?

Re: He Did it!

Jaspersmom — Sat, 25 Mar 2017 13:11:00 GMT

AND ADD THIS WONDERFUL STORY ABOUT HIM:

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/legless-marine-saves-baby-queens-car-crash-article-1.2399479

Re: He Did it!

Jamma — Sat, 25 Mar 2017 13:13:19 GMT

May God bless him and keep him safe'

Jamma

Re: He Did it!

Jaspersmom — Sat, 25 Mar 2017 13:15:07 GMT

I live right near here and no, his duties will not be restricted. Hooray for him.

Re: He Did it!

meallen616 — Sat, 25 Mar 2017 14:30:13 GMT

Matias Ferreira,

Re: He Did it!

Plaid Pants2 — Sat, 25 Mar 2017 14:49:59 GMT

As far as I am concerned, he is just as able-bodied as anyone who doesn't wear prosthetics.

Re: He Did it!

Catty2 — Sat, 25 Mar 2017 23:36:19 GMT

What an amazing story!

Re: He Did it!

itiswhatitis — Sun, 26 Mar 2017 02:18:36 GMT

@Jaspersmom wrote:
I live right near here and no, his duties will not be restricted. Hooray for him.

@Jaspersmom you must feel so good to have him in your community.

Re: He Did it!

itiswhatitis — Sun, 26 Mar 2017 08:29:13 GMT

@Jaspersmom wrote:
AND ADD THIS WONDERFUL STORY ABOUT HIM:

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/legless-marine-saves-baby-queens-car-crash-article-1.2399479

Ohhh, thank you @Jaspersmom! He is great!

Re: He Did it!

apple1964 — Sun, 26 Mar 2017 14:00:13 GMT

What a wonderful thing... thanks for sharing this news with us. How refreshing after reading all these silly, foolish threads I have read this morning.