CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Jonathan Molina answered his country's call in 2007 with a tour of duty at Forward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq.
When he returned, the war came home with him.
Today, Molina lives with severe injuries sustained from a roadside bomb (improvised explosive device) that blew up his military vehicle during a mission in Iraq.
He suffers from traumatic brain injury (TBI) , nerve paralysis in his legs, spine fractures and PTSD.
"Having to live with the pain every day — it's been tragic," Molina said.
Over the years, Molina has tried every treatment and drug under the sun, but now he's been given a gift — a form of treatment that doesn't require any of that stuff: a hyperbaric chamber.
The group Warrior Hope Network presented Molina with a $7,000 hyperbaric chamber to help him deal with his injuries.
The group also plans to give chambers to a total of 12 deserving veterans like Molina.
The Warrior Hope Network is a partnership between three different groups: Burn Pits 360, Grunt Style Foundation and the Port of Corpus Christi
"We wanted to really have an impact on the lives of those that came back wounded," said Burn Pits 360 co-founder Rosie Torres. "A way to do that was to offer healthcare modalities that they can't access anywhere else."
The Network was established in 2021 to provide veterans access to various healthcare therapies, such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy, stem-cell therapy, chelation, and infrared sauna detoxification.
Molina's oxygenation therapy is expected to help speed his body's healing process and avoid surgery and drugs.
"It's amazing you know," said Molina. "I wish that it was, you know, given to more people."
Molina will not only be able to save on treatment costs, but transportation costs as well. Most veterans have to travel as far away as San Antonio for hyperbaric chamber treatment.
"They'll be able to have it in their homes," said Torres. "They don't have to go and try to figure out how to pay for this treatment. It will actually belong to them."
The group also offers scholarships to veterans for care, disorders, pulmonary diseases, cancer and unexplained illnesses.
More Veterans In Focus stories are available here, along with resources for local veterans. Contact Veterans In Focus reporters: Greg Chandler at greg.chandler@kristv.com and Pat Simon at pat.simon@kristv.com
