Former Army Sgt. Joel Gomez, whose story inspired his hometown to rally behind him, died Tuesday from complications related to the catastrophic injuries he suffered in the Iraq War.
Army Sgt. Joel Gomez, an Iraq War veteran and Wheaton native whose community rallied around him when he returned home, died Tuesday due to complications from the injuries he suffered during the war. He was 42.
Army veteran Joel Gomez lies in a nursing home bed, struggling with complications related to the catastrophic injuries he suffered in the Iraq War nearly two decades ago. Meanwhile, his caretaker, who has served him since 2007, is in Mexico awaiting her immigration papers.
A soldier who returned from Iraq with quadriplegia relied on a longtime caretaker to remain in his Wheaton home, then visa issues trapped her in Mexico and he landed in the hospital.