Foxboro- The New England Patriots will honor two wounded warriors PFC, Sean Bannon of Winthrop MA, and Sgt. James Hackemer of Gowanda New York as honorary team captains prior to the Buffalo Bills versus New England Patriots game Sunday 11/9 at 1pm. Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital treated both soldiers and their doctor's, Spaulding's VP of medicine Dr. Ross Zafonte and Traumatic Brain Injury Program Director Dr. Heechin Chae will join them on the field as part of the ceremony.
Sean Bannon was critically wounded by an IED in Iraq. He has spent a month at Walter Reed Military Hospital in Washington, D.C before being transferred to Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital to continue his recovery. Sean received a Purple Heart on April 21st , Patriots Day, at Fenway Park presented to him by Senator John Kerry.
In March 2008, Army Sgt. James Hackemer was leading a patrol in his unit's armored vehicle outside of Baghdad when a road side bomb exploded directly under their vehicle. Sgt. Hackemer lost both legs and suffered a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). With only 28 units of blood circulating in the human body, he lost 25 units. The others in his unit quickly moved in and immediately began to triage James on site until a helicopter could airlift him out. Clinging to life in a coma, James was rushed to a battlefield hospital where he was stabilized enough to be sent to the main medical facilities in Germany. He was transferred to Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital where he currently is in an intensive rehabilitation program.
Spaulding is proud to be a collaborator and resource with the military to treat these complex cases. Spaulding is the first hospital in New England and only one of a handful nationwide authorized to treat soldiers. 'Spaulding is honored to be part of this event with the Patriots and the National Football League in honoring all our returning heroes. We thank the Patriots and the Kraft Sports Group for their unwavering support of our wounded warriors,' said Spaulding spokesman Tim Sullivan.
About the Spaulding Rehabilitation Network
A member of Partners HealthCare, The Spaulding Network includes its main campus, a 196-bed facility, located in Boston, MA, Shaugnessy-Kaplan Rehabilitation Hospital three skilled nursing facilities: North End Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, Boston Center for Rehabilitation and Sub-Acute Care, and the Clark House, as well as sixteen outpatient sites throughout the Greater Boston area. Spaulding is a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School as well as the official rehabilitation hospital of the New England Patriots. Spaulding is the only rehabilitation hospital in New England continually ranked since 1995 by U.S. News and World Report in its Best Hospitals survey. For more information, please visit www.spauldingrehab.org.
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