I dedicated 21 years of my life to serving in the United States Army—12 years on active duty and 9 in the Florida Army National Guard. My final role was as a Cavalry Scout platoon sergeant, leading from the front and mentoring the next generation of soldiers. My boots have touched foreign soil in multiple deployments: from the sands of Desert Shield and Desert Storm to the gates of Guantanamo Bay, the jungles of Panama, the villages of Guyana where we trained indigenous forces, and the intense battlegrounds of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
Among my proudest achievements in uniform was helping young soldiers grow into capable, compassionate leaders and building lasting partnerships with our allies abroad. Over the years, I was honored with several awards, including the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, five Army Commendation Medals, four Army Achievement Medals, and the Joint Meritorious Unit Award.
After retiring from the Army, I wasn’t ready to stop serving. I joined my county’s Public Safety Division as a communications officer. Driven to do more, I pursued training to become an Emergency Medical Technician and later a Paramedic. For the last six years, I’ve had the privilege of serving my community in this role. With a large veteran population in our area, I often get the chance to care for fellow brothers and sisters in arms—it’s my way of giving back.
One of the greatest blessings in my life came through this work—I met Heather, my wife and soulmate, while we were both in Paramedic school. She still serves part-time as a medic, but her full-time job is now raising our beautiful five-year-old daughter, Adaline. She’s the light of our lives. I often tell people, “I just need to get my kidney so I can be there when she graduates.” That’s my mission now.
About two years ago, my journey took an unexpected turn—I was diagnosed with kidney failure. I noticed my legs swelling and, trusting my instincts, went straight to the ER. Fortunately, I knew the team there, and they acted fast. I was admitted for 14 days and started on hemodialysis. Since then, I’ve transitioned to peritoneal dialysis, which I do at home each night so I can continue to work. I can’t ride in the ambulance anymore, but I still serve as a first-responding medic to support our teams.
As if that wasn’t enough, during testing for a kidney transplant, I found out I needed a quadruple bypass and carotid artery surgery. I made it through, stronger than ever, but my battle isn’t over—I still need a new kidney. When I’m not working or doing dialysis, I recharge by spending time with my family, target shooting, and being outdoors. With the warmer weather coming, Adaline has asked me to take her fishing at the lake. That’s a promise I intend to keep.
For medically cleared donors, giving the gift of life through living kidney donation has been proven to be very safe. DOVE will assist all prospective donors throughout the process and make sure they do not incur any out-of-pocket expenses related to the evaluation or surgery. A healthy person can live a normal life with one kidney and save Lee’s life with the other!
Your support, whether through spreading the word on social media or considering becoming a donor, can make a profound impact on his life and the life of his family!
Please click on the link below if you would like to learn more OR call (551) 233-1611