Doreen Caron was alone in her Ellington home Saturday morning when she got a phone call every military parent fears.
She was told her son Greg Caron, 25, stepped on an explosive device on Veterans Day while serving with his Marine Reserves unit in Afghanistan. He was seriously injured and lost parts of both legs below the knee.
"I kept thinking of him and what he was going through and he's alive. That's what it all comes down to," Doreen Caron said.
After being treated in Afghanistan, Greg was flown to Germany for further medical care. He's expected to arrive back in the U.S. on Wednesday and will undergo treatment at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
"We're holding up pretty good. It's something you don't expect is going to happen to your son," Gary Caron, Greg's father, said.
Greg's parents, his two brothers who are both Marines, and his wife are all traveling to Walter Reed to visit with him.
"It'll be nice to see Greg and give him a hug," Gary Caron said.
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The family said the support they've received is overwhelming, not just from people in Ellington but also from across the state and country.
"We've even had e-mails coming from Australia, so it's been impressive. No parent thinks they're going to go through this and here we are," Gary Caron said.
"Being a mother of three marines, I'm so proud. I'm so proud that our community is really treasuring our servicemen and I can't express enough words," Doreen Caron said.
A Facebook page has been set up for the Greg Caron Foundation.
There has been a P.O. Box set up for donations to be mailed.
The Greg Caron Foundation
PO Box 262
Ellington, CT 06029
Check the Facebook page for more information on how you can contribute.
