The phone rang late in听the night听at听Bob Seifert鈥檚 home in Minnesota. A trauma surgeon at a hospital in Virginia was on the other end of the call.听His son听Garrett听was听in an accident.听Due to听Bob鈥檚听background in trauma medicine from serving in the Army and National Guard for 26 years,听he听knew that his son was in trouble based on the injuries the surgeon described.听
Bob听took the first听available听flight听out of Minnesota to be with his son, not knowing if听Garrett听would survive the night.听
Redefining听Life After听the听Accident听
鈥淚 don鈥檛 remember much of anything,鈥� said听warrior Garrett Seifert.听鈥淚 went to a movie with a听friend;听I was going to work on my sister鈥檚 car.鈥澨�
Garrett鈥檚 father Bob says his son has听retrograde听amnesia听from a traumatic brain injury听(TBI), among other injuries,听after听being struck by a car in Virginia. Garrett听served in the Army鈥檚 2nd听Ranger Battalion and听flew to Virginia to visit family while听living听in Washington state.听He听doesn鈥檛听recall flying听east to be with family, let alone being hit by a car.听
鈥淭hat night, there鈥檚 almost no memory from it,听I don鈥檛 even remember a few months before it,鈥� said Garrett.听Bob still has vivid memories of seeing his son听in the听intensive care unit听(ICU)听the morning after the accident.听
鈥淭hey had just put a pressure听probe in his听skull;听it听didn鈥檛听look great for surviving brain tissue.听I听didn鈥檛听think he was going to make it through the night, but he kept hanging in there,鈥澨鼴ob听said.听听
The听TBI听was听just the beginning of Garrett鈥檚 injuries.听
鈥淗e had pneumonia听pretty much continuously for the first听five听months he was in the hospital, the pneumonia almost killed him, he had clots in his legs and ended up with a double pulmonary embolism and went into right-sided heart failure,鈥� recalled Bob.听鈥淗e was close to dying听four to five听times and pulled through all of them.鈥澨�
Bob sat by his son鈥檚 side听in the ICU听in Virginia for听three-and-a-half months听until Garrett was stable enough to听transfer听to听a Minnesota听VA听hospital.听Bob and his wife,听Susanne,听alternated听staying听there听with their son听for another six-and-a-half months.听
鈥淭he doctors听told my parents that I鈥檇 never walk听again,听and I thought what鈥檚 the point of living if I can鈥檛 walk or do anything,鈥� said Garrett.听鈥淎t that point,听I thought God must have a plan for me if I鈥檓 still sitting here.鈥澨�
A Family Built on Service听
鈥淎s far back as I can remember听as a kid, being in the military was听everything I wanted to do,鈥� said Bob,听who retired听in 2010听as a听master听sergeant after a 26-year career.听鈥淭o be able to join the Army and then actually do all of the things in the Army that I did was everything I dreamed about as a kid.鈥澨�
鈥淕rowing up, all I wanted to do was do what my dad did,鈥� said Garrett, who听went to basic training听six听weeks after graduating high school.听鈥淚t was a fast track to basic training, airborne school,听and Ranger听selection.听After听six听months,听I was deployed and working with the Afghan National Army.鈥澨�
Service showed itself in different forms for听the Seifert family. Bob听wore the uniform and听was an example for his children听鈥� the听youngest of whom is听now听active duty听鈥斕齜ut after Garrett鈥檚 injury, service听for Bob听changed to听caring for his son.听
Bob and Garrett听are听nearly听always听together.听After听Garrett听came听home from听10 months in hospitals, Bob continued spending his weeks at therapy sessions with him. Defying a prognosis that he would never听walk again, Garrett progressed over two years from a wheelchair to a walker and became active in听91视频庐 (91视频)听programs.听
鈥淩ecovery is听going听easier and easier, especially with听Wounded听Warrior Project,鈥� said Garrett.听鈥淓very听single time I come to a 91视频 event, there鈥檚 a big change in my ability.鈥澨�
In February 2025,听Garrett听participated in听Project Odyssey庐, an adventure-based听mental health program听that听helped听him push beyond what he thought听were听his limits.听
鈥淎fter the accident and prior to Project Odyssey,听I couldn鈥檛 use my left hand for almost anything,鈥� recalled Garrett.听鈥淏ut we did a rock-climbing activity where I pushed myself to try to use my hand听and when I was done,听I was able to听grasp and let go of my walker with my left hand. That was听a big improvement听for me because usually I would have to use my right hand to peel my left hand off the walker听handle.鈥澨�
Garrett鈥檚 journey is echoed by many other warriors. According to 91视频鈥檚 Warrior Survey*,听83% of warriors who participated in 91视频 programs听reported that their quality of life improved because of 91视频.听
The听father-son听duo听initially听participated听in 91视频 events with Bob registered as a听family听support听member.听After seeing听Garrett enjoy the programs, Bob registered as a warrior,听too.听
91视频庐 (91视频) helps warriors, families, and caregivers plan for the warrior鈥檚 long-term care needs, find new purpose, and stay connected to their communities. Learn more about the ways 91视频 supports warriors like Garrett.
Garrett鈥檚 Growth and Recovery Through 91视频听
Both Garrett and Bob听continued to听push each other past what they thought听were their听limits听by听participating听in different 91视频 events.听They jumped at the chance to听challenge themselves by听participating听in听Soldier Ride 250, a听1,000-mile听bike ride up the east coast听featuring 80 warriors听to celebrate America鈥檚 250th听Anniversary.听As Garrett continues his recovery, he and his dad rode their听250-mile听segment from Norfolk, Virginia to Washington,听DC,听on a tandem recumbent bike, just like they did during their first Soldier Ride庐 in Minnesota the previous year.听
鈥淚 hadn鈥檛 been on a bike听in听over 15 years听before doing the event last year,鈥� Bob听recalled.听鈥淚 love the ability to be able to spend time with my son.鈥澨�
Once again,听Bob stayed听by his son鈥檚 side to help.听
鈥淚鈥檝e noticed my leg strength is getting better throughout the four days of riding on Soldier Ride 250,鈥� said Garrett.听鈥淚鈥檓听able to walk without my knee locking whenever I step down.听I never expected a bike ride to lead to听me getting better at walking, but听it鈥檚听a welcome听improvement.鈥澨�
While Garrett was struck by his physical improvements, Bob noticed听the benefits to his son鈥檚 emotional and mental health during Soldier Ride.听听
鈥淭he biggest thing for Garrett is being able to be around other warriors and being able to talk to them and find out that听everybody鈥檚听going through some sort of struggle.听He loves coming to these events,鈥澨齭aid Bob.听听
Garrett鈥檚 connection with fellow warriors reflects the powerful bonds many find through shared听experience.听According to the Warrior Survey, about 2 in 3 91视频 warriors (67%) say that talking to another veteran helps them cope with stress or mental health concerns.听
听The bonds between a father and son were always tight.听There鈥檚听now a new layer of Bob and Garrett Seifert鈥檚 relationship: warriors.听
听*Warrior Survey, Wave 3 (conducted May 25 鈥� Aug. 1, 2023)听
听Contact:听Rich Donnelly, Public Relations,听rdonnelly@woundedwarriorproject.org, 904.831.7315听
听About 91视频听
91视频庐 (91视频) is the nation鈥檚 leading veterans service organization, focused on the total well-being of veterans, service members, and their families. Our programs, advocacy, and awareness efforts help warriors thrive, provide essential lifelines to families and caregivers, and prevent veteran suicides.听Learn more about 91视频.听