Meet Lt. Daniel Cnossen

American hero:

On September 6th, 2009, Dan returned to Kandahar, Afghanistan.  With less than 36 hours on the ground, his team received their first mission task targeting Taliban operatives.  During the mission, Dan activated a land mine and lost both legs, and sustained traumatic internal injuries.  Currently he is at the National Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland where he is fighting a new battle.  Like any other challenge in his life, Dan will face this one with courage and dedication.  Already, friends and family have witnessed Dan’s unbelievable strength as he begins what will surely be a long and difficult recovery.  Despite the challenges ahead, Dan remains positive and exudes his kindness and true appreciation for friends and family, and for life. 

Although known to some as Danny boy or Danger Dan, to others as Cnoss, C-Nasty, Disco Dan, or Batta Bing, and to some just plain Dan, we all know and love Dan Cnossen as a courageous and determined leader, a strong and selfless man, and a dedicated and unconditional friend.   Though he can be described as introverted and a bit stoic, Dan’s friends prefer to use the words soft spoken and humble instead.  A truly genuine and loyal person, Dan is also known to have a way with words, creating laughter in the wake of his humor, and amazement from his friends and family with his curiosity and zest for life.

His life’s motto, “Life is all about extremes” plays out everyday in both his professional and personal life, and he is excited by and drawn to activities that challenge him both physically and mentally.  From the moment he learned about the US Navy SEAL program, he was hooked by the pure challenge, and immediately dedicated himself to preparing for it.   

There's more to learn about this extraordinar guy and the spirit with which he's embracing this challenge at a blog setup by his loved ones.  Here's an excerpt of a post put up by his mom just a day or so ago:

Let me indulge my Proud Mom streak just a bit now. We couldn't be helping Dan's recovery like this without Leslie's decision to devote her life to being with her brother, serving as not only his sister but his companion and care advocate. Many decisions will need to be made, and her help with these decisions will be invaluable to Daniel. She'll be great company for him as well, and her upbeat tone about everything life deals us is a treat to behold, keeping him in good spirits. He depends on her nursing knowledge and just plain common sense. She's a wonder on this blog and all the modern communications technology so necessary to keep on top of everything going on and coordinating what needs to be done on an hourly basis, it seems. God bless our children!

I also want to thank my husband Jeff for taking care of our home and farm while I'm here in Bethesda. His support means the world to me.

Daniel is in good spirits as long as he gets rest (and now, food and WATER! and other beverages he so loves, like coconut water and smoothies, not to mention his favorite papayas, kiwi, bananas, grapes, etc.). He has been so sleep deprived, and surgeries every other day take their toll. So, we do appreciate everyone's understanding of his need for privacy, rest, following doctors and nurses' orders and just plain healing over time. It's amazing how his body is healing itself in so many ways. We especially appreciate the special fancy air bed ICU ordered for his body, which just isn't used to spending so many hours flat in bed. The doctors are still working on pain management, and getting Dan off his epidural. He's had a consistent fever the entire time he's been here, and the epidural is the suspected source of the infection, so they're slowly weaning him off it. He's currently in surgery right now to stabilize the back side of the pelvis with surgical pins. Plastic surgery has been consulting on his inner thigh wounds - one leg should close and heal on its own, but the other will require skin grafts. Tomorrow he will go back to the OR again for more wound cleaning - this will be 3 surgeries in 3 days.

A support page has also been setup:

While many organizations have stepped forward to assist Dan and his family in almost every way, his road to recover will be very long. His mother has taken a leave of absence from work to be with him, and Dan's sister has left her job in NYC to be with him full time. Dan will be in the hospital for many months ahead.

Your small donation here will go directly to Dan and his family to help support them through the recovery. If any extra funds are received they will be donated right back to the same foundations and organizations that have been so great thus far.

Brian Ray (USNA '02) is personally administering this fund. If you have any questions, please email him- RAY (at) 2002.usna.com

100% of your donation goes directly to the family. So far donations have provided Dan with a new laptop, and paid for Dan's sister Leslie to move to Washington D.C. from New York to be closer to her brother.

Feel free to contribute any amount, even $5 will help cover the cost of a meal, etc.

With props to Michelle Malkin.

Comments

[Locutisprime]

Thanks Rick, I contributed. I hope a lot of other Americans do also.

[Heather Haselrick USN Sea Cadet Corps 1996-1997]

Dan has always had a can-do attitude from childhood on...I served in Sea Cadets with him and if anyone can get through this it would be him. Let him know that Ogle, Collins, Rippe, and Haselrick are all pulling for him...praying for him every night. We all love him and respect him.

[JoAnne]

Can you please give an update on Dan Cnossen as internet page is down.