DeLancey is supported by BraunAbility and his local mobility dealer. When you purchase a mobility product from BraunAbility, you join a powerful community.
Lance Corporal Mike DeLancey joined the Marine Corps after graduating high school. Enlisting in January of 2004, he served in the infantry. DeLancey was first deployed in Afghanistan in October of 2004. He would remain in Afghanistan until June of 2005. It was during his second deployment in Iraq that DeLancey would sustain a life-changing injury. On September 1, 2006, DeLancey was in Haditha, Iraq, where he was shot by a sniper, the bullet tearing through his fifth sixth, and seventh vertebrae and hitting his right lung. Instantly, he was paralyzed. Marine Sergeant Michael Guynes, who was also on tour with DeLancey at the time, was the first person to reach him following the incident.
"I heard the words, 'DeLancey's down,' and I came out from cover and held on to my buddy. I put pressure on the wound, looked into his eyes, and told him over and over, 'You've got this. You're fine,'" Guynes said.
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The Injury and Rehabilitation of a Paralyzed Veteran
A medic helicopter rushed in to take DeLancey to the hospital. He flatlined multiple times on the way to Al-Asad airbase. Once stabilized, he was flown to Landstuhl, Germany for surgery. Eventually, he returned to the U.S. for treatement of his injuries at Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, where he was plad in a medically induced coma. Once sedation was weaned, DeLancey's family, friends, and medical team encouraged him to discontinue use of the ventilator that was placed when doctors worked on his injuries. When DeLancey came off the ventilator, he was given the choice of four rehabilitation hospitals, and he went to his home state of Florida for extensive rehabilitation.
For DeLancey, an important part of rehabilitation included maintaining an active lifestyle and participating in sports. He began going to events put on by the Wounded Warror Project, an organization dedicated to supporting the wellbeing of Veterans through mental health services, physical wellness, and peeer support. DeLancey not only began participating in adaptive sports like hand cycling, wheelchair rugby, and wheelchair basketball, but he also became a peer mentor to fellow Veterans, traveling to Bethesda, Maryland and the Tampa VA hospital to support Veterans going through similar experiences.
A Wheelchair Van for a Deserving Veteran
In recogntion of his service and support to fellow Veterans, BraunAbility has the privilege of presenting DeLancey with a one-of-a-kind wheelchair accessible Honda Odyssey, which he received as a special losw-cost lease. The vehicle's camoflague wrap was exclusive to the model he received. BraunAbility team members and fellow Veterans had the opportunity to attend a ceremony where DeLancey was presented with the vehicle.
Expressing gratitude and excitement for the opportunties his van woudl provide, DeLancey said, "The van is going to do a lot for me as far as mobility. This is going to be Wonderous for me."
The Wounded Warriors Abilities Ranch
Since receiving the wheelchair van, DeLancey has founded the Wounded Warriors Abilities Ranch (WWAR) in his hometown of Pinellas Park, Florida. In 2012, the city dedicated a 10-acre site of donated land and allocated $1.1 million to start the bulding. Amid founding his nonprofit, DeLancey recieved a new BraunAbility wheelchair accessible SUV.
Reflecting on the vehicle, DeLancey said, "This vehicle shows exactly what I tell the Veterans coming back from war with critical injuries: Just because you've been injured doesn't mean you have to change or settle for something that's not you."
Having a vehicle to keep up with his busy lifestyle and sufficient funding to build the Wounded Warriors Abilities Ranch, DeLancey officially opened his nonprofit on September 1, 2018, which marked the twelve-year anniversary of his injury.
The Ranch includes multiple pavilions, a multipurpose sports court, a fishing pont, an adaptive outdoor multipurpose gym and playground, and a dog park.
Every year on the anniversary of his injury, the Wounded Warriors Abilities Ranch hosts an "Alive Ride" to raise money and helpp more Veterans. Since its founding, Delancey's nonprofit has helped thousands of Veterans. In recognition of his service to the armed forces, DeLancey has received a Purple Heart, a NATO metal and service campaign medals for his time in Iraq and Afghanistan. To read more Veteran stories or learn about BraunAbility vehicles and mobility products for Veterans, visit our Veteran Resources page.
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