May 27, 2013

Tomas Young, wounded Iraq war vet, says he will live on for now 

By ROBERT A. CRONKLETON The Kansas City Star May 20 2013 / kansascity.com

Tomas Young, the paralyzed Iraq war veteran who announced earlier this spring that he was ready to die, said that he has decided to live for now. "I decided I was going to hold on as long as I can until it becomes too unbearable for me," Young said in an interview Monday afternoon at his Kansas City, North home.

He said he would no longer set a date for when he will end his life. Rather, he will decide at the time his pain medication stops keeping up with the pain.

He lives his life on a day-by-day basis. “I want to spend as much time as possible with my wife, and no decent son wants his obituary to read that he was survived by his mother,” he said.

“I want to spend as much time as possible with my wife, and no decent son wants his obituary to read that he was survived by his mother,” he said.

Young announced his decision during a special screening of the 2007 documentary “Body of War” Sunday at the Alamo Drafthouse Mainstreet. The screening was held to celebrate the life of the Kansas City veteran.

Young, who had planned to attend, said he was unable to go because of recurring nausea. Instead he appeared by Internet .

Young said the decision grew out of the love he has for his wife, Claudia Cuellar, and how he would miss her ... Young said he changed his mind after his first wedding anniversary on April 20.

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