PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Coast Guard veteran Irv Antonio just marked his final day of service. He was separated from the military Friday after a mugging left him with lasting injuries.
Antonio was about to start work in Portsmouth in late 2021 when he stopped in Washington, D.C. with his brother. There, he says, a couple of strangers mugged him.
"One of the last things I remember saying to my brother was, 'these houses are so nice' when we got held up at gun point. I got hit in the head with the pistol . . . my head hitting the ground, I guess it fractured my skull," said Antonio.
Doctors performed emergency surgery and saved his life. But the incident left him missing part of his brain.
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Antonio said his brother still has to live with the fullest memory of the incident, but was physically okay.
The road to recovery hasn't been easy. After months of seeing different specialists he learned he was being medically separated from the military.
Still, he's taken the news in stride.
He's applying the skills learned in the Coast Guard to a medical career. He said he's been inspired by the caring nature of the medical professionals during recovery and the diversity he's seen in that field. So he, as a child of Mexican and Guatemalan immigrants and as someone with a life-changing injury, wants to represent others as he makes his path in healthcare.
"I guess just kind of as a message that it's doable. I am missing a sizeable chunk of my brain, lost my job in a way, but if you find a passion you can make it happen," said Antonio.
He already had a bachelor's degree in Spanish, but recently enrolled in ODU to study biomedical sciences where he's holding on to a 3.91 GPA. He plans to apply to medical school soon.
