- THERE'S SOMEONE IN OUR AUDIENCE
WHO RECEIVED A PURPLE HEART
AFTER BEING AMBUSHED AND SHOT FIVE TIMES IN AFGHANISTAN.
HE WAS GIVEN LITTLE CHANCE TO LIVE AND ALMOST NO CHANCE
TO WALK AGAIN, BUT HE HAS BEATEN THE ODDS.
FROM WASHINGTON DC, PLEASE WELCOME
SGT. FRANZ AND HIS WIFE SHANNON.
[cheers and applause]
FIRST OF ALL, IT'S AMAZING BECAUSE WHEN I WAS DANCING
THROUGH THE AUDIENCE, I SAW YOU STANDING UP.
SEVEN MONTHS AGO, YOU WEREN'T WALKING.
YOU COULDN'T WALK AT ALL SEVEN MONTHS AGO, AND HERE YOU ARE,
AT THE SHOW, STANDING UP WHEN EVERYONE'S DANCING.
IT IS AMAZING. [cheers and applause]
- YEAH.
IT TOOK, UH, TOOK ME OVER TWO YEARS TO FINALLY BE ABLE TO
STAND UP AND TAKE A COUPLE OF STEPS, AND--
I'M JUST--EVERY DAY, YOU KNOW, I MAKE SMALL RECOVERIES,
AND IT'S JUST A BLESSING. - YEAH.
SO IT HAPPENED TWO YEARS AGO, AND YOU WERE SHOT FIVE TIMES.
YOU WERE AMBUSHED, AS I SAID.
AND IT'S AMAZING THAT YOU'RE HERE, AND THAT YOU'RE WALKING,
AND THAT YOU HAVE THE ATTITUDE YOU HAVE.
AND-- [applause]
- HE'S VERY POSITIVE. YEAH, VERY POSITIVE.
- YEAH, I JUST TRY TO STAY POSITIVE AS MUCH AS I CAN,
AND I TRY TO OVERCOME THE SMALL OBSTACLES
AND I GAIN A LITTLE BIT OF INDEPENDENCE EVERY DAY.
AND I TRY TO MOTIVATE PEOPLE. LIKE, WHEN THEY SEE ME STAND UP,
AND THEY'RE LIKE "OH, YEAH, I NEED TO DANCE TOO, BECAUSE
YOU KNOW, THIS GUY'S DOING IT." SO, YEAH.
- INITIALLY YOU ENLISTED FOR A SPECIAL REASON, ALSO.
- YES, IN 2007, MY FAMILY GOT A KNOCK ON THE DOOR,
AND IT WAS TWO SOLDIERS DRESSED IN UNIFORM, AND THEY NOTIFIED
US THAT MY BROTHER PASSED AWAY IN IRAQ.
AND, IT WAS KINDA--IT WAS REALLY HARD ON US.
AND I TOOK ABOUT TWO YEARS SOUL SEARCHING TO TRY TO FIND A WAY
TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE HIS MEMORY LIVE ON.
SO I JOINED THE SERVICE AS WELL, AND I WANTED TO FOLLOW IN
HIS FOOTSTEPS, AND YOU KNOW, JUST BRING HIS LEGACY TO LIFE,
YOU KNOW, TO SHARE MY STORY WITH HIM, LIKE TODAY.
- AND AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, YOU COULD BE ANGRY AT THAT,
YOU COULD BE FEELING SORRY FOR YOURSELF.
YOU GO FOR ALL THE RIGHT REASONS IN YOUR HEART, AND YOU COME BACK
AND YOU STILL HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE.
YOU'RE CLIMBING WALLS,
YOU'RE DOING ALL KINDS OF CRAZY THINGS, RIGHT?
- OH YEAH, I LOVE DOING-- I WAS A VERY COMPETITIVE PERSON
BEFORE I GOT INJURED, SO-- [applause]
THANKS.
YEAH, I WAS A VERY COMPETITIVE PERSON BEFORE I WAS INJURED.
I LOVED SPORTS, SO, DOING, LIKE, OBSTACLE COURSE RACES,
AND HAND CYCLING AND STUFF LIKE THAT,
REALLY IS NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, FOR ME, PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY
TO STAY STRONGER AND POSITIVE, IT'S ABOUT, YOU KNOW,
MOTIVATING-- - OTHER PEOPLE.
BECAUSE OTHER PEOPLE ACTUALLY LOOK TO YOU WHEN THEY'RE FEELING
DOWN AND HAVING A BAD DAY. THEY'RE LIKE "LET'S CALL FRANZ."
- YEAH, THEY CALL ME UP ON THEIR PHONE, AND THEY'RE LIKE
"HEY, YOU KNOW, I'M HAVING A REALLY TOUGH TIME,"
AND IT'S LIKE "HEY MAN, STAY POSITIVE."
YOU KNOW, "LET'S GO TO THE MOVIES, LET'S GO OUT AND DO
SOMETHING TOGETHER," YOU KNOW, JUST, YOU KNOW,
TRY TO PASS THAT TIME, 'CAUSE WHEN YOU'RE SITTING ALONE
AT HOME, YOU GET DEPRESSED, AND THAT'S WHY THEY CALL ME
AND I GET THEM OUT OF THAT RUT. - GOOD FOR YOU.
YEAH, IT DOES HAVE A TENDENCY--IF YOU'RE
IN A DARK PLACE--IT CAN FEED ON ITSELF, SO YOU'VE GOTTA
LET THE LIGHT IN, AND YOU'VE GOTTA CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE,
AND BE POSITIVE, AND YOU DO THAT FOR SO MANY PEOPLE.
WE KNOW THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO-- YOU'RE TRYING TO BUILD A HOME,
A WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE HOME. I GOT YOU A HOUSEWARMING GIFT.
I GOT YOU A HOUSEPLANT THAT IS SO PRETTY,
'CAUSE YOU NEED A HOUSEPLANT, WHEN YOU HAVE A HOUSE.
- WHAT? - AND WE TOLD OUR FRIENDS
AT SHUTTERFLY YOUR STORY, AND THEY WANT TO HELP MAKE YOUR
LIFE A LITTLE EASIER, SO THEY WANT TO GIVE YOU $15,000.
[cheers and applause] - WHOA!
- WHAT?!
[cheers and applause]
- OH, MY GOD.
- OH, MY GOD!
- OH, MY GOD. - OH, MY GOD!
- WHOO! - FOR INFORMATION ON HOW YOU
CAN HELP BUILD FRANZ AND SHANNON'S HOME,
GO TO OUR WEBSITE. I WANT TO THANK LISA KUDROW,
MAX GREENFIELD AND TWITCH. I'LL SEE YOU TOMORROW.
BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER, BYE BYE.
[cheers and applause]