On Cila’s first deployment to Iraq, an enemy attack cost the Army sergeant his left hand. After a yearlong recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Northwest Washington, Cila has moved on with the support of service dog Gillian, provided by the Canine Companions for Independence.
How did you lose your hand?
I was on combat patrol right outside of Baghdad, It was just after midnight on July 4, 2005, when we spotted a suspicious object. It looked like a 50-pound bag of dog food, but a mesh bag. My captain and I got too close to the guy who was waiting to detonate it, and he got spooked. Shrapnel ricocheted off my chest plate and took off two-thirds of my arm. It was hanging there. At the hospital in Germany, doctors said there was a 5 to 10 percent chance of saving my arm. That percentage rose, but my hand deteriorated. I had elective surgery to remove it.
How did Gillian enter your life?
Not having a left hand is pretty challenging. It’s the everyday stuff, like getting out of a car with two kids and juggling the keys and the cell phone while making sure the kids don’t run into traffic. Through CCI, Gillian and I were placed together in February of this year and went through a pretty extensive two weeks of training. She’s a 2-year-old Lab-golden mix. I was blessed to have a very intelligent dog who made graduation easy, despite my modest GPA.
What kind of things does she help with?
Well, I have a left hand that walks by my side. Gillian opens doors for me and carries that extra grocery bag. She doesn’t give me the opportunity to sit around and be depressed. I need to get up in the morning to take care of Gillian and make sure she’s healthy. We’re accountable for each other. – Lisa Gartner
