BOSTON -- A local soldier had his time in Iraq cut short by massive injuries, and now he is being discharged from a nearby facility after private care.
Vincent Mannion, 19, suffered traumatic brain injuries during combat when a house exploded and collapsed on top of him.
"He pretty much damaged most of the parts of his brain, and there were no spare parts. All of the areas of the brain were affected," said Dr. Heechin Chae.
Doctors doubted that the Hyannis native would ever walk again, but he proved them wrong.
Mannion was treated at Walter Reed Medical Center, but his family wanted him closer to home. So, Vincent relocated to Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, becoming the first soldier to be treated at a private facility.
He is the first U.S. soldier to be granted private care for traumatic brain injury.
"We're closing a chapter and starting a new beginning here. This has been unprecedented having soldiers come to private facilities," Jeff Brodeur, Vincent's father.
Mannion was released from the hospital on Tuesday. He said one of the things he's most looking forward to about being home is playing with his new dog, named 'Rocco' after one of his favorite doctors.
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