Wounded Marine reunites with family Lance Cpl. Casey Allison has ties to Moses Lake

Lance Cpl. Casey Allison, left, is pictured with his wife Mia and daughter Ava shortly after returning from Afghanistan earlier this month. Allison lost his right leg below the knee and both the pinky and ring finger on his left hand during a Jan. 28 incident and has been recovering at Walter Reed Military Medical Center.

by Tiffany Sukola & Herald Staff Writer
| February 14, 2014 5:05 AM

MOSES LAKE - There was only one word Moses Lake resident Kelly Hirz could find to describe the moment her son, 21-year-old Casey Allison, held his daughter in his arms for the first time.

"Emotional," she said. "There were tears all around, but they were happy tears."

Scenes where new parents meet their children for the first time unfold in delivery rooms around the country daily, scenes that are by nature, emotional.

But Allison wasn't meeting his daughter Ava for the first time in the delivery room. He was meeting her nearly two and a half months after his wife Mia gave birth to her. And this time, he was the one laying in a hospital bed, not his wife.

Allison, a senior lance corporal in the Marines, lost his right leg below the knee and his left ring and pinky finger when he stepped on a improvised explosive device (IED) in Afghanistan Jan. 28.

The incident occurred five months into Allison's second deployment to Afghanistan. He was due back home this spring, she said.

Hirz was in Boardman, Ore., visiting Mia and Ava when they learned Allison was injured.

"We got the phone call at 6 in the morning," she said. "A casualty report in the military sounds scary and we didn't know what that meant but later we found out he would be okay."

Hirz eventually learned more about the accident.

Allison was on patrol with allied troops that day, she said. A paratrooper stepped on an IED and Allison immediately rushed to his side.

"He rendered first aid, he put a tourniquet on him and got the paratrooper on a gurney," Hirz said. "Casey was helping carry the paratrooper to the Medevac when he stepped on the second IED."

Allison was taken to an area hospital, then flown to one in Germany before returning to U.S. soil earlier this month. He is currently being treated at Walter Reed Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.

"They flew us out to see him as soon as he got back to the states," Hirz said.

Allison's sister and step-father are also on the East Coast with them, she said.

While Allison was eager to see each of them, Hirz said it was his daughter he was the most excited about seeing.

In fact, he said as much in a Facebook post a couple of days after the accident.

"To my beautiful wife, looks like I get to see you and meet my daughter a little early, I can't wait," read part of his message.

Ava was born while Allison was in Afghanistan, Hirz said. She was in the delivery room in his place, she said.

"We had him on Skype, so he witnessed the whole delivery," said Hirz. "But that's really not the same thing."

Hirz said she's glad her son can finally be with his family.

Since returning to the United States, Allison has undergone numerous surgeries. He had his ninth surgery Wednesday morning, and a tenth is scheduled for this Friday.

Allison will likely remain at Walter Reed for another six weeks. Then, he'll head to a facility in San Diego, Calif., where he'll go through physical therapy and get fitted for prosthetics, said Hirz.

Her son has a long road ahead of him, she said, but he's remained in good spirits.

"He's staying very positive, but that's just how he his," she said.

Being around family has helped, but so has the support he's received from people all over the country, said Hirz.

The family set up a "Pray for Casey" Facebook page after the incident and thousands of people have offered up words of encouragement and prayers, she said.

"It's just amazing to me, we're all touched by the kindness, support and outpouring of love online," said Hirz. "And cards come in daily, it's a huge morale booster for Casey."

Hirz said the Moses Lake community has also provided support and prayers since the incident. Hirz previously lived in Oregon but moved to the area about a year ago with her husband Mark, who is originally from Moses Lake.

"Our family here has been really supportive," she said.

A family member recently set up a recovery fund for Allison at Wheatland Bank in Moses Lake. Funds donated will help Allison pay for prosthetics in the future, said Hirz.

While Allison will remain in the Marines until he is fully recovered, he already has plans for the future. He wants to become a Washington State Patrol officer, like his step-dad, she said.

"His recovery is going really well, and he's already looking ahead," said Hirz.