(WMC-TV) - Private Taylor Odom is anxious to return home after being injured in a train accident at Fort Carson, Colorado. The accident left him in a coma, with broken ribs and a crushed pelvis. Now, he is looking forward to reuniting with family and friends who have supported him throughout his recovery.
Action News 5 spoke to the injured soldier by phone Tuesday about the outpouring of generosity he has received from people in the community trying to help bring him home.
"Thank you for helping us out . I just really want to go home. I'm tired of being here. It's boring in here," said Pvt. Odom.
His mother, who is in Colorado with the 19-year-old, recently found out from his doctors, the military, and State Representative Chuck Espy that Odom will be allowed to come home for Christmas.
"Just to know I can bring him back home and have much more family support and things like that is a blessing," said his mother, Jennifer Herrin.
The Military is looking at giving Odom all rights as a fully enlisted soldier and will pay for him to return to DeSoto County via a commercial airline instead of using special transportation.
The soldier's family is already preparing to welcome him home with a new dog named Roxy. They have even built him a new handicapped accessible ramp.
While there is a campaign on Facebook to raise money to bring him home, the family has been hit with another financial burden after they say thieves stole more than $1,000 from a jug they had been using to save money to help Pvt. Odom.
"Unbelievable to know that with the situation we 're in, knowing my son is on life support, and dying to protect their rights and their freedom and all of a sudden to steal from him makes me outraged," said Herrin.
Odom is expected to arrive home near the end of this week.
For more information on how you can help the injured soldier, e-mail TN Representative Espy by clicking here.
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