PARMA, Ohio — On this Veteran’s Day, News 5’s Remi Murrey shares are a story of triumph and victory from three veterans overcoming major obstacles in their lives, thanks to community partners working together to offer a unique program.
It’s not everyday you meet someone like Tiffaney Davison.
“I just want the world to know that’s there is so much more to us than what you see,” said Davison.
You can’t help but get drawn into her infectious personality.
“The best thing you can do when you see me is just talk,” said Davison. "You are gonna talk back because you are gonna love me,” said Davison.
She’s positive, and her resiliency to keep going through daily tasks like a visit to the library can even present another difficult step.
“Nobody asks for what happens to us, it’s how we handle it. You may not ask for it, but that’s OK,” said Davison.
It makes one consider the simple things often taken for granted, that could change in the blink of an eye.
“After you’re injured and you come home, your life is forever changed,” said Davison.
When Davison served in the army, she got hurt, leaving her with multiple injuries to her knees and spine.
“They have these things called confidence walls so when I climbed to the top, my buddy was supposed to guide me,” said Davison. “I actually got to the top and fell off.”
Still, Davison manages to show up for herself, even when there have been times she says she wanted to give up.
“Took me some time to get here, wasn’t always this way — wasn’t all cherries and rainbows,” she said.
Thankfully, Davison has been able to find her safe haven again in an atmosphere she says is second nature.
“I don’t have to focus on what’s going on around me,” said Davison. “Just what’s right here and it’s very peaceful.”
“It says I can still do this. That’s what it says. I still got some fight," said Davison. "I can still keep triumphing. I still got a story to be told and that’s what this does for me.”
Davison even makes it apparent, she’s an expert shooter, which is something you wouldn’t expect considering her past.
“When I was a little girl, and I was three years old, and I got shot by a rifle, so I was terrified of guns,” said Davison.
But it didn't stop Davison from fulfilling a dream she’s had since the age of 14, being the first and only woman in her family to serve.
“No one talked about it. Our culture, they don’t talk about a lot of things, so I wanted to do it," she said.
Davison says she also finds peace connecting with veterans like Leroy Bell, who can relate to her daily struggles.
“When I first got my leg cut off, I had given up,” said Bell.
But together, they keep pushing.
“It just inspired me, and after a while, you know I got used to it. I have to live without the leg, so okay,” said Bell.
It also motivates other veterans like Dennis ‘John’ Turchan.
“It means the world. Without the VA and the PVA, I don’t know what I would do. I really don’t,” said Turchan.
Twice a month for the last five years, these three veterans have been coming to the Parma Armory Shooting Center to shoot air rifles and practice archery as part of the Cleveland Veteran Affairs Adaptive Therapy program.
“It gives them the opportunity to participate in something that they did prior to their disability, or maybe it’s a new opportunity for them to participate in an activity that they never thought they could do with a disability, which is kind of what recreation therapy does,” said Spinal Cord Injury Unit Recreational Therapist, Aubrey Lash.
Therapists say these activities help veterans relieve stress while overcoming their disabilities.
“It keeps me functioning cause a lot of times I wake up in the morning and I might now want to go but I get up and go anyway,” said Bell.
Veterans also prepare for the National Veteran Wheelchair Games, where they compete each year in different events, like air rifle.
“It’s exciting for them to go to these different places and there’s over 500 veterans there, so they meet people from all over; even people from England come,” said Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Recreation Therapist, Patty Whitecotton.
As a coach, Jim Sherman says it can be difficult assisting, since therapists aren’t allowed to disclose veterans’ disabilities, so they make it a priority to have fun.
“Most of them tell me at the end of this, at the end of their session here, that they had a good time, and I did better than last time, and that’s our goal,” said Parma Armory Foundation Secretary, Jim Sherman.
The group also shares memories, laughter and, most importantly, inspiration.
“I want them to see you can still be active,” said Tiffaney Davison. “Yes, I may still use a chair, but I’m still getting out here, letting the world know just because my injuries wasn’t my ending, it was my new beginning, for me.”
The VA welcomes interested veterans to join.
To be eligible, they say you must receive care and services through the Spinal Cord Injury Department or the Physical Medicine and Rehab Department within the Cleveland Veterans Affairs.
Watch live and local news any time:
Download the News 5 Cleveland app now for more stories from us, plus alerts on major news, the latest weather forecast, traffic information and much more. Download now on your Apple device here, and your Android device here.
You can also catch News 5 Cleveland on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV NOW, Hulu Live and more. We're also on Amazon Alexa devices. Learn more about our streaming options here.
