Army veteran Don Allen, 62, wants to walk again.
But a paperwork snafu at the Department of Veterans Affairs delayed delivery of his prosthetic leg, leaving Allen to rely on a wheelchair to get around.
“I want to get a prosthesis so I can start not looking up at everybody,” he said. “I’d like to be eye to eye with people again, I’m six feet tall.”
Allen served in the Army in 1974 to 75.
He is a Vietnam veteran.
A traffic accident last July took his leg.
He credits doctors at Bayfront Medical Center with saving his life.
For therapy and rehab, he transferred to the VA’s Community Living Center at Bay Pines.
“The medical care at the VA is the best that you’re going to get,” explained Allen. “But once you start dealing with the administrative end, it is a train wreck.”
Fitted for a prosthetic leg in September, VA paperwork delayed delivery until January. By that time the swelling in what is left of Don’s right leg had subsided.
“By then, leg shrank and it’s time for a new leg,” he said.
In February, Allen was fitted again and once again, a paperwork snafu.
By the end of May, still no leg.
“I get passed from office to office to office to office until, eventually you end up at the first office you started at,” he explained.
Target 8 spoke with Allen on Wednesday, then sent an email to Bay Pines Public Affairs Officer Jason Dangel.
According to Allen, he heard from Bay Pines very quickly.
“Well at first they were trying to convince me that none of this happened and I said, ‘you know that’s baloney,'” stated Allen.
Then he got the news he’s waited for.
“Miraculously in the course of a day and a half, the leg is ready and the VA has gotten their end together and I’m going to have it on the 5th,” he said. “I’m real thankful you know, you guys. I guess when people know they’re going to get called out and might appear on television they move their rear ends a little quicker.”
Sometimes, Don. Sometimes.
If you have something that you think should be investigated, call our Target 8 Helpline at 1-813-338-0808. Contact Steve Andrews at sandrews@wfla.com
