Double Amputee Marine Veteran Matias Ferreira A New York Police Officer

A marine veteran, who lost both of his legs in Afghanistan, was sworn in as a New York Police Officer, Fox News reports.

Matias Ferreira, 28, just may be the first double amputee to become an active duty police officer in the country. When he was on a tour in Iraq, Ferreira stepped on a bomb, losing both legs below the knee. The Long Island man was sworn in to the Suffolk County Police on Friday after graduating from the Police academy.

Ferreira begins his patrol next week and he has no worries at all. The academy offered 29 weeks of vigorous training, but Ferreira kept up with all the other recruits.

According to Fox News, Ferreira moved from Uruguay to the United States when he was only six years old. His wife, Tiffiany Ferreira, is unbelievably happy for her husband.

“To watch my husband achieve his dream that I think most people would thing wasn’t even possible is really special.”

USA Today revealed that Ferreira always wanted to be a police officer. He told reporters that losing his legs didn’t deter him from following his dreams of becoming a police officer.

Suffolk County Police Department is honored to have Ferreira on their team.

“On behalf of the entire Suffolk County Police Department, we are honored to have these young men and women joining our ranks tomorrow and dedicating their careers to serving the residents of Suffolk County. With their hard work, determination and bravery, we will continue to move this department forward and make Suffolk County an even safer place to live.”

Ferraira stated that he uses titanium prosthetic’s, but it doesn’t hold him back in any way.

“I’m just really eager and excited to prove myself to my colleagues in my new job, my new career, that I’m capable of doing the job just as well as somebody with both legs. I don’t think the prosthetic’s hinder me in any way.”

Ferraira joked that if he broke a leg while on duty, that he will pop the truck and grab an extra prosthetic leg and continue on “and I’m back on duty.”

Although Ferraira is the first double amputee police officer, he is not the only one to achieve unimaginable things. Alex Zanardi, a double amputee race driver who lost his legs during a cart race, won a gold medal at the Rio Paralympics last September.

Some additional amputees have also made amazing accomplishments. For instance, Aimee Mullens was a double amputee who lost her legs when she was just one year old due to a congenital condition, Kneerover reports. She has been an inspiration to many amputees. In 1998, she became a model, appearing in television shows, on billboards, and in fashion magazines. Mullens played sports, such as softball, track and field, and even downhill skiing.

Amy Purdy lost both of her legs below the knee after she suffered from septic shock from meningitis when she was only 19 years old. After receiving her prosthetic legs, she started snowboarding. In 2014, she competed at the Paralympics and received a bronze medal. Further, Purdy was the first double amputee to compete in Dancing with the Stars.

Glenn Malmskog lost one of his legs after injuring it while working on a film in Texas. Due to the injury, he contracted degenerative bone disease, eventually leading to his amputation. Malmskog has since returned to his film career, working as a stuntman and coordinator, an explosives technician in Hollywood, and a flight coordinator. Kneerover revealed that Malmskog has fallen from more heights and fought with more swords than any other amputee in the country.

Mike Coots was bodyboarding in Hawaii when he was attacked by a shark in 1997 and lost one of his legs below the knee. Only a few short months after the incident, he returned to surfing. More shockingly, he began working as a shark activist, campaigning against shark culling and finning.

One more person that couldn’t be forgotten is Tammy Duckworth, an Iraqi war veteran who was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. During the attack, she lost both of her legs, one below the hip, and the other below the knee. She was the first female to lose her legs during war. Before going to war, she obtained her PhD in Political Science. When she returned from war as an amputee, she continued her political career working for the U.S. Department of Veteran Services. Duckworth also became the first amputee to be elected to the House of Representatives.

[Featured Image by Andres Kudacki/AP Images]