The Massachusetts National Guard will be providing physical, mental health and financial support for a soldier whose left arm ended up being fully amputated due to a vehicle-related incident at the National Guard Armory in Framingham.
Reda Said’s left arm was partially amputated in a vehicle-related accident while working at the armory. After the incident, Said’s co-workers applied a tourniquet to his injury. He was later transported to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, the Framingham Fire Department told Metro West Daily News.
The 22-year-old’s left arm had to be fully amputated due to the degree of the injury.
In a statement released on Tuesday, The Massachusetts National Guard expressed sympathy for the injured soldier and his family. The organization will be providing physical, mental health and financial assistance for Said and his family.
“It is heartbreaking to learn of something happening to one of our very own close-knit National Guard family,” Lt. Col. Dustin Walker wrote in the statement.
Adjutant General of the Massachusetts National Guard, Maj. Gen. Gary W. Keefe, said the agency’s motto: “Always Ready – Always There” isn’t just for the community.
“It also means for each other,” Maj. Gen. Keefe wrote. “The Massachusetts National Guard is providing physical, mental health and financial support to our soldier and their family. We are committed to the near-term recovery and long-term wellbeing of the soldier.”
The Massachusetts National Guard said the agency takes preemptive measures to prevent work-related injuries. The cause of the accident is still under investigation.
The day after Said’s injury, his girlfriend Sofia Bendok set up a GoFundMe campaign to pay for his living expenses.
“This has taken a tremendous toll on his loved ones and any reassurance for financial stability is greatly appreciated by the Said family,” Bendok wrote on Said’s GoFundMe account.
As of Tuesday afternoon, hundreds of people had donated to the GoFundMe campaign. The fundraiser had raised nearly $30,000.
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