Turn To Tara: Soldier wants to continue to serve despite transplant

<p>The wife of a Westchester soldier Turned To Tara after learning her husband could no longer serve in the military due to a prior organ transplant.</p>

News 12 Staff

Apr 3, 2018, 9:16 PM

Updated 2,226 days ago

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The wife of a Westchester soldier Turned To Tara after learning her husband could no longer serve in the military due to a prior organ transplant.
Daniel Cola's last day as staff sergeant with the New York National Guard was last Friday. 
The Port Chester resident received a letter from the Department of the Air Force a few weeks ago saying that the board determined that Cola was unfit for military service due to a kidney transplant three years ago. Cola's doctors have said that he has fully recovered from the transplant.
Cola says all he wants to be able to do is continue to serve.
A quick search online showed that plenty of other members of the military who had the same surgery have been allowed to continue to serve. The base commanders of the 105th Airlift Wing in Newburgh have been fighting to keep Cola on active duty to no avail.
“It was very shocking,” says Cola. “It hit me hard because, you know, here I was, I did everything I need to do to be back to healthy, like a normal human being. This was like a gut punch...like wow, ya know - I'm healthy, I'm here, I'm willing,” he says.
Two New York lawmakers are now demanding a congressional review of Cola’s case.
News 12 has put in several Freedom of Information requests regarding Cola.


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