Suffolk firefighter Chris Heater will be the first amputee firefighter in the state of Virginia later this month when he graduates from department training.
Heater, a USMC veteran, lost his leg in 2018 in a fall, and initially thought the injury was going to limit his life.
But family and doctors encouraged him to pursue his childhood dream of becoming a firefighter. So, at age 33 he applied for a position at the Suffolk Fire Department, WAVY reports.
Heater told WAVY he kept the leg a secret from his fellow recruits for a long time, but eventually shared his story with them.