Big-hearted Westchester teen finishes veteran hall beautification project in time for Memorial Day — after freak accident
Share this @internewscast.com

A compassionate teenager from Westchester has completed a project aimed at enhancing a local veterans hall right in time for Memorial Day — despite being delayed by a freak accident and a challenging recovery.

Joseph Mana, 18, was on the verge of finishing his work at the Veterans of Foreign Wars hall in Yorktown Heights. His Eagle Scout project involved setting up planter boxes, pressure washing the facility, and refurbishing a bench. He took a break in October to focus on school activities, according to Mana and his father who spoke with The Post.

“It was supposed to be done in time for Veterans Day — but then tragedy struck,” his dad, Ed Mana, said.

While actively participating in Boy Scouts troop 173, Mana was playing touch football during his fourth-period gym class when an accidental collision occurred. Another student ran into his left leg from the side while he was leaning back, leading to the unexpected incident, Mana explained.

The impact and strange angle dislocated his knee and damaged a main artery behind it.

“I was in a lot of pain and shock,” Mana said. “The top of my knee was indented down at an angle.”

He was rushed to an emergency room, where doctors explained he needed surgery immediately to fix the artery.

“After they popped it back into place, they said it could be something wrong with the vascular side,” Mana said.

For the next four months, the teen was forced to remain hospitalized while he recovered from three surgeries — including to repair the artery, remove pins from his ACL and fix a tendon.

Ed Mana, 52, said it was hard to check his son into Blythedale Children’s hospital in Valhalla knowing he’d likely be there for months.

“When you have to leave [your kid] there, it’s like you’re leaving someone in jail. There were tears,” he said.

As the months passed, the teenager celebrated Halloween, New Years ‘Day and his 18th birthday at the hospital.

“I was upset and annoyed I couldn’t see [my friends],” Joseph Mana said.

He even applied to colleges while on painkillers and confined to the medical center.

“I told him if you don’t get in, you should write the college a letter later and say, ‘I was high but not for the normal reasons,’”  Ed Mana said.

Finally, in March the teen was released and advised to do physical therapy twice a week and to wear a knee brace for the next year and a half.

Over the weekend, he returned to complete the vets project, which will also include a flag box, and will be unveiled in a ceremony after the town’s Memorial Day parade Monday. Mana is expected to give a short speech.

“Vets deserve this because they fought for our country, so we should spend our time helping them too,” he said.

Since his accident, Mana has been accepted to SUNY Polytechnic Institute, where he plans to study computer science.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Trump calls for 2020 presidential election to be 'permanently wiped from the books' if Southern Poverty Law Center convicted of fraud

Trump Urges Erasure of 2020 Election Results Amid Controversy Involving Southern Poverty Law Center

On Friday, former President Trump suggested that the 2020 election should be…
Oklahoma tornado barrels through Enid, damaging homes and shutting down roads

Tornado Strikes Enid, Oklahoma: Homes Damaged and Roads Closed

On Thursday, a devastating tornado tore through Oklahoma, ripping the roofs off…
Simple act can lower risk of early death by 45%: new study

Discover the Simple Habit That Could Slash Your Risk of Early Death by 45%

Participating in elections might just be your ticket to both civic responsibility…
Pete Hegseth warns Iran laying mines violates cease-fire, won't deny report it could take six months to clear the Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s Mine Threat: Pete Hegseth on Potential Six-Month Strait of Hormuz Crisis

On Friday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth addressed concerns about Iran potentially…
Wild photos show firefighters battling massive 5-alarm fire at historic NYC church

Stunning Photos Capture Heroic Firefighters Tackling Devastating 5-Alarm Blaze at Iconic NYC Church

Striking images have emerged of firefighters valiantly combating an intense 5-alarm blaze…
House considers bill to create 'buffer zones' outside houses of worship to ward off protest chaos

House Proposes Bill for ‘Buffer Zones’ to Safeguard Worship Spaces from Protest Disruptions

Congress is currently weighing a new legislative proposal that aims to establish…
Connecticut school system lets students hide trans status from parents, complaint claims: 'Turns the statute on its head'

Connecticut Schools Allegedly Allow Students to Conceal Gender Identity from Parents, Sparking Controversy

WASHINGTON — On Friday, a prestigious school district in Connecticut faced a…
Award-winning university chef allegedly beat his wife to death at campus hotel: officials

University Chef Accused of Wife’s Fatal Assault at Campus Hotel, Authorities Report

A chef employed by the University of Massachusetts Amherst is facing charges…
Eerie photos of abandoned Chernobyl plant show lights still glowing on nuclear control panel

Chilling Images Reveal Lights Still Shining in Abandoned Chernobyl Control Room

It’s like stepping into a time capsule. Haunting images of the notorious…
Mexican Mafia turned American neighborhoods into ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ with murders, kidnappings, drugs: feds

Federal Authorities Report Mexican Mafia’s Role in Transforming U.S. Neighborhoods with Crime and Drugs

In a significant crackdown on organized crime, federal authorities announced Thursday the…
2 Washington men spent decades under identities taken from dead children: police

Decades-Long Identity Fraud Uncovered: Washington Men Used Deceased Children’s Identities, Police Report

Two men in their 50s face allegations of assuming the identities of…
Prosecutors seek 30-year prison term for South Korea's Yoon for drone flights over Pyongyang

Prosecutors Request 30-Year Sentence for South Korea’s Yoon Over Drone Operations in Pyongyang

On Friday, South Korean prosecutors called for a 30-year prison sentence for…