Wounded Soldier Back in Altavista - FOX 21/27 WFXR Roanoke/WWCW Lynchburg News, Weather

Wounded Soldier Back in Altavista

The last time Chris Walker was home in Altavista, the community rallied behind the wounded soldier with a motorcycle ride. This weekend, he was back in town to spend time with friends and family. No matter where the support comes from, whether it's fund-raising events or a Facebook page with more than 2,500 likes, it continues to humble and overwhelm him.

"It's really incredible how people are trying to help me," he said. "They are letting me know that they are there to support me. It's does mean a lot to me and I appreciate it."

As the weekend trip home wraps up, Walker will head back to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Maryland. He may spend the next year or two there learning to use prosthetic arms and a leg. While the physical therapy is tough, it's the occupational therapy he likes to concentrate on. That's when he can learn to take care of himself again.

"I try to spend as much time there as I can," he said. "They are teaching me how to move my arms, so I am trying to put as much into it as I can to get there as fast as I can."

While the challenges of learning small tasks is daunting, something Walker is also dealing with is what he calls "phantom pain" associated with his loss of limbs.

"You can still feel your hands, but your fingers feel like they are being crushed in an oven. You can feel the heat. The leg will do the same thing. The leg will feel like it's twisted up under you. It's like your brain trying to figure out what happened and trying to reconnect."